Per una storia del concetto di domesticazione (Francia 1830-1860)
The domestication of animals is currently a widely debated topic spanning both the natural and social sciences. This article aims to reconstruct the history of this dialogue in the nineteenth century, when the concept of «domestication» entered the French language. The familiarisation of animals wit...
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/tp, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Italien |
| Pubblicazione: |
Teoria politica
2026
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| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | The domestication of animals is currently a widely debated topic spanning both the natural and social sciences. This article aims to reconstruct the history of this dialogue in the nineteenth century, when the concept of «domestication» entered the French language. The familiarisation of animals with humans then became a scientific and moral issue of prime importance, around which zoological theses, anthropological theories, utopian aspirations and imperial projects were formed. Considered decisive proof of species variability, domestication supported the monogenist hypothesis, which states that human morphological diversity is the result of peoples (and their animals) moving across the globe. While contributing to the definition of a natural history of humankind in this way, domestication nevertheless occupies a place within a moral history of humankind: different stages of civilisation correspond to different forms of animal appropriation, ranging from predation to pastoralism to breeding. This association is not limited to the past; since domestication involves the manipulation of animal behaviour and instincts, it is considered a form of gentle power capable of obtaining voluntary cooperation from animals. The result is a veritable utopia of the peaceful domination of nature. The domestication of animals arouses the interest of both naturalists and social theorists, who recognise its crucial role in linking the natural and social orders. Against the backdrop of political transformations and colonial dynamics, the article analyses these debates, which, in the mid-19th century, made the domestication of new species anything but an abstract utopia. |
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