A Culture of Fact: England, 1550-1720 [Hardcover]

Barbara J. Shapiro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2000

Barbara J. Shapiro traces the surprising genesis of the "fact," a modern concept that, she convincingly demonstrates, originated not in natural science but in legal discourse. She follows the concept's evolution and diffusion across a variety of disciplines in early modern England, examining how the emerging "culture of fact" shaped the epistemological assumptions of each intellectual enterprise.

Drawing on an astonishing breadth of research, Shapiro probes the fact's changing identity from an alleged human action to a proven natural or human happening. The crucial first step in this transition occurred in the sixteenth century when English common law established a definition of fact which relied on eyewitnesses and testimony. The concept widened to cover natural as well as human events as a result of developments in news reportage and travel writing. Only then, Shapiro discovers, did scientific philosophy adopt the category "fact." With Francis Bacon advocating more stringent criteria, the witness became a vital component in scientific observation and experimentation. Shapiro also recounts how England's preoccupation with the fact influenced historiography, religion, and literature--which saw the creation of a fact-oriented fictional genre, the novel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...clearly written and lucidly arranged... rests upon an impressive amount of reading in vernacular printed books of the period." -- Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 52, No. 3, July 2001

"Commanding both formidable range of reference and lucid prose style... has something interesting to say about every topic she touches." -- American Historical Review, February 2001

"Shapiro has written an excellent work in intellectual and cultural history." -- Virginia Quarterly Review, Vol. 76, No. 3

"[F]ascinating work...Shapiro admirably achieves her aim, which is to shed light on questions relating to disciplinary development and permeability." -- Renaissance Quarterly

"[This book] should be given a hearty welcome as a trenchant and well illustrated contribution to an ongoing debate." -- Journal of European Studies, Fall 2000 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

"A Culture of Fact is a superb realization of a great idea. Erudite, conceptually rich, and thought provoking, it also constitutes an important supplement to several areas of scholarship in early modern English intellectual history."--Donald R. Kelley, James Westfall Thompson Professor of History, Rutgers University, and Editor, Journal of the History of Ideas

"Barbara Shapiro’s original account of the concept of fact in early-modern English culture moves outward from law to virtually every area of professional and lay intellectual curiosity and endeavor. Thoughtful, learned, and admirably lucid, A Culture of Fact is an important contribution to the study of post-Medieval Western culture in general."--Thomas A. Green, University of Michigan --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (December 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801436869
• ISBN-13: 978-0801436864
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,018,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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