Description
Book SynopsisTracks the ways in which human beings were defined in contrast to supernatural and demonic creatures during the time of the Scientific Revolution. Explaining that the word 'monster' is derived from the Latin for 'omen' or 'warning,' this title offers an exploration of the monster's early identity as a portent or messenger from God.
Trade Review“A well-researched, engagingly written, rich, and enlightening study.”—Deanna Shemek, author of
Ladies Errant: Wayward Women and Social Order in Early Modern Italy“This is a superlative and highly inventive piece of scholarship.”—Giuseppe F. Mazzotta, author of
The New Map of the World: The Poetic Philosophy of Giambattista VicoTable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Monstrous Matter
Chapter 2: Monstrous Machines
Chapter 3: Medicine and the Mechanical Body
Chapter 4: Vico’s Monstrous Body
Chapter 5: Monstrous Metaphor
Afterword
Notes
Works Consulted
Index
