Physiology, Vitalism, and the Contest for Body and Soul in the Antebellum United States.
J Hist Med Allied Sci
; 78(3): 227-248, 2023 Jul 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37103263
ABSTRACT
In the early nineteenth century, physiology became an increasingly popular and powerful science in the United States. Religious controversy over the nature of human vitality animated much of this interest. On one side of these debates stood Protestant apologists who wedded an immaterialist vitalism to their belief in an immaterial, immortal soul - and therefore to their dreams of a Christian republic. On the other side, religious skeptics argued for a materialist vitalism that excluded anything immaterial from human life, aspiring thereby to eliminate religious interference in the progress of science and society. Both sides hoped that by claiming physiology for their vision of human nature they might direct the future of religion in the US. Ultimately, they failed to realize these ambitions, but their contest posed a dilemma late nineteenth-century physiologists felt compelled to solve how should they comprehend the relationship between life, body, and soul? Eager to undertake laboratory work and leave metaphysical questions behind, these researchers solved the problem by restricting their work to the body while leaving spiritual matters to preachers. In attempting to escape the vitalism and soul questions, late nineteenth-century Americans thus created a division of labor that shaped the history of medicine and religion for the following century.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Vitalismo
/
Medicina
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Hist Med Allied Sci
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos