| Abstract |
Between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, many people in Europe had a strong interest in the phenemonon of abnormal birth. French intellectuals, in particular, were fascinated by so-called monstrous births. They observed, examined, and recorded the strange forms and structures of malformed fetuses, in order to study the possible causes of their abnormal conception. One prevalent view held that the imagination of pregnant women could have a direct influence on the fetus, and could result in the birth of monstrous babies. This article examines the notion of “maternal imagination” and uses it as a case study to understand debates among French intellectuals concerning the power of the imagination. In addition, the article attempts to shed light on how scientific knowledge was transformed in the modern world. |
