Inquisitions and Scholarship

Inquisitors engaged in mass censorship across the Iberian and Italian peninsulas; however, the effect it had on scholarship is debated. To test the effect of inquisitorial control a database of more than 2,000 top-tier mathematicians, scientists, authors, artists, and composers was created for 16 Eu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSocial science history Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 677 - 702
Main Author Anderson, R. Warren
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, US Cambridge University Press 01.01.2015
Subjects
Artists
Capital punishment
Censorship
Libraries
Mathematicians
Oppression
Philosophers
Printing machinery
Religion
Religious persecution
Theologians
Theology
Italy
England
Netherlands
France
Switzerland
Germany
Spain
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Summary:Inquisitors engaged in mass censorship across the Iberian and Italian peninsulas; however, the effect it had on scholarship is debated. To test the effect of inquisitorial control a database of more than 2,000 top-tier mathematicians, scientists, authors, artists, and composers was created for 16 European countries from 1000 to 1749. Italy and Iberia had large declines of high-level scholars shortly after the establishment of the inquisitions. In contrast, other countries—both Protestant and Catholic—had increases in top-level scholars. Even though other countries had book burnings, religious persecution, and intolerance, the presence of an institution that became intolerant and oppressive significantly impacted the location of scientists and other top achievers throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
ISSN:0145-5532
1527-8034
DOI:10.1017/ssh.2015.75