The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses

by Carolyn Purnell

Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch—as they were celebrated during the Enlightenment and as they are perceived today.

Blindfolding children from birth? Playing a piano made of live cats? Using tobacco to cure drowning? Wearing “flea”-colored clothes? These actions may seem odd to us, but in the eighteenth century, they made perfect sense.

As often as we use our senses, we rarely stop to think about their place in history. But perception is not dependent on the body alone. Carolyn Purnell persuasively shows that, while our bodies may not change dramatically, the way we think about the senses and put them to use has been rather different over the ages. Journeying through the past three hundred years, Purnell explores how people used their senses in ways that might shock us now. And perhaps more surprisingly, she shows how many of our own ways of life are a legacy of this earlier time.

The Sensational Past focuses on the ways in which small, peculiar, and seemingly unimportant facts open up new ways of thinking about the past. You will explore the sensory worlds of the Enlightenment, learning how people in the past used their senses, understood their bodies, and experienced the rapidly shifting world around them.

In this smart and witty work, Purnell reminds us of the value of daily life and the power of the smallest aspects of existence using culinary history, fashion, medicine, music, and many other aspects of Enlightenment life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Philosophy, 18th Century, Audiobook

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2017

About the author

I'm a history instructor, freelance writer and photographer, interior design aficionada, and lover of all things quirky. My work has appeared regularly on ApartmentTherapy.com and in several Chicago-area publications, and my photographs have appeared in Good Housekeeping. I have also worked at a library, an academic journal, and a tractor dealership. It was, ironically, the latter that most encouraged my love of books, since my free time afforded ample opportunity to read.

A country girl by birth but a city girl by heart, I moved to southern California for college. My education introduced me to James Joyce, Gerhard Richter, and the Marquis de Sade, and it was perhaps the subconscious influence of the latter that convinced me to spend the next seven years of my life as a graduate student. At the University of Chicago, where I earned my M.A. and Ph.D., I turned my attention to history, a field that I like to describe as “fiction with facts.” My academic specialties are France, history of sexuality, the eighteenth century, the history of science and medicine, and the history of the senses, but after spending several years in France for research, it might be more accurate to say that my specialties are pastries, cheese, and wine.

Reviews

[Al Bità · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Enlightenment is a term used to refer to a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and most of the 18th centuries CE. It emphasised reason and individualism rather than tradition, and was heavily influenced by 17th-century philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Newton. Its prominent figures included Kant, Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith. But this is not the Enlightenment Purnell is particularly interested in. She is more concerned with the opinions and theories propounded by various individuals of the period in relation to the human senses. Their speculations and activities regarding the use and application of the senses in achieving a better quality of life for humanity in general is what this book is about.

Purnell’s writing style is both light-hearted and serious at the same time. I can imagine a twinkle in her eye as she writes… The result is both informative and entertaining. Some of the stories she refers to might be known to some, but overall one will find many surprises, especially at the extent some individuals will go to in their “research” on the use of our senses. Despite all the astonishing interpretations and the often bizarre actions of certain people, Purnell is concerned to let the reader know that the beliefs and intentions of the individuals involved stem from certain serious philosophical questions about who we are, and how we react and learn (or not) to use our senses.

While most of us in the West would regard these senses as our five basic ways by which we interact and respond to our perceptions of the world (the “external” senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch) Purnell acknowledges that these are not necessarily the only “senses” we have. Even so, her emphasis os mostly on these five. Political, social, educational and other approaches are often shaped by what we see, the colours we perceive, the odours we smell, the flavours we might taste, and what we can touch — and all of these were particularly heightened during the Enlightenment, when new and exotic stimulants started to arrive in Europe. It was only natural that speculations and theories abounded, suggesting that perhaps we should re-examine our understanding of our senses.

In a sense (different interpretation of “sense”!) much of the writings and thoughts can be dismissed as weird, ridiculous, grotesque and excessive; yet I could not help thinking that, more often than not, deeper issues are quite relatable to our modern ways of thinking about them. When you contemplate the way, say, advertising and marketing operate today, Enlightenment thinkers did manage, often enough, to hit the nail right on the head when it comes to our own current “feelings” about our sensual experiences today. Worth pondering about.

At the same time, there should be a warning about this type of writing: just because some (often very rich or well-to-do) individuals might have done or written something (positive or negative) about any particular issue does not mean that their beliefs were attributable to all Enlightenment thinkers, and certainly not necessarily to the wider community. Purnell is well aware of this, and often reminds us that in many cases, the experiments performed were not as a rule applicable to the vast majority of the people living during that period. Historically speaking we have hopefully moved on from outdated or discredited ideas (although sometimes I wonder…)

I think that the best part of this book is in the Epilogue, where Purnell suggests that her more serious intention lies in the fact that we should understand our sensual experiences not as something which can be isolated into specific unrelated subjects, but rather should be amalgamated into more complex interdependent dynamic qualities, more reflective of how we actually can become richer and more complete as human beings.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fascinating and entertaining. Packed with weird anecdotes and thoroughly provoking, this book will make you rethink what your senses are telling you.

[Lisa . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Große Stärke des Buches is, dass des falsche Narrativ der Aufklärung als ein Zeitalter der absoluten Ratio relativiert wird. Die Autorin zeigt immer wieder die Relevanz der Sinne, eigentlich ja ein Randthema, für die größere Kulturgeschichte auf; perfekt, wie es im Lehrbuch steht.
Außerdem is des Buch auch einfach super unterhaltsam und ich lieb des Cover!

[John Hausrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Learned some interesting facts about the period of enlightenment. Very interesting information about the senses.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway***

This was a fun one. The author was very punny :D and wrote in an intelligent, but not academic style. She came across as the type of nerd I'd want to hang out with. She covered all sorts of sensory topics and happy (and grossed out) to learn where the phrase "blowing smoke up your a$$" comes from. All in all, I don't know if the Enlightenment really CHANGED how we use our senses...but it definitely changed how we look at sensory perception. Very cool.

[Ralphz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Sensational Past: How The Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses" looks at how human senses were defined and refined in the era.

The Enlightenment age was the time of Rousseau, Voltaire and deeper thinking, partly because more Europeans were better off, not just surviving after the Plague. Besides being dominated by a move to secularism and reason, the age was a wonder to the senses, with new visions, colors, flavors, smells and the reconsideration of them all.

The author goes roughly sense by sense, while discussing whether there are really only five, as did the intellectuals of the day.

It was striking to know how much business was conducted in the dark because of the lack of proper outdoor lighting. Also, vision and the explosion of colors imported from around the world changed perceptions. Taste was also key, with new cuisines and spices.

Along with the gains of the Enlightenment were terrible consequences, which the author addresses.

With the reconsidation of the senses came the exploration of the connection between pleasure and pain, opening the door to the Marquis de Sade.

Also, discussions about who had a right to access to this newly revealed way of living further extended class divisions, slavery, racial strife and the beginning of eugenics. The French Revolution and the Reign of Terror were both sides of the same coin during this period.

Reason wasn't always reasonable, and some (religious) superstition was wiped away, but other types took its place.

A really good, though short, book. Purnell apparently had a book about color in the works, and I can't wait to read it.

[Artemis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some, I laughed a few times, overall it's an okay book.
I felt hopeful at the beginning when the author defined the eighteenth century as being between 1690 and 1830 (for the purposes of the book).
Situating oneself is wonderful and I liked the clarity, but, there was no situation of place in the same way.
At times the author would speak of a generic group of people and I genuinely wouldn't know what cultural context we were in. Different countries would be mentioned and many places were mentioned only in reference to the sourcing of slaves.

Knowing which countries were actively a part of the Enlightenment would have been greatly appreciated, and given the book a stronger depth than it has. I leave this book feeling slightly disoriented of who all we discussed.

That being said, this is a newer thing for the author and I think for a first swing it's a great job that's well done. Academia often asks us to ignore our situation, our own personal references, for the sake of objectivity - so switching into a mode of acknowledging ones place, and the place of those one is researching, might be really difficult.

[Kali Napier · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of how seventeenth-century people used their senses to perceive and understand their worldviews. Particular insights are useful for writers in characterisation, such as the idea that sight and hearing are distancing senses, while taste and smell are internal and create emotional connection.
Some chapters are better than others, and there is a shifting tone throughout as it tries to straddle lay history and scholarship. Where this is done well is in the chapter titled "What is a Sense?" expanding the familiar five to include senses such as imagination, memory, sex, etc, that is, anything that triggers experiences of pleasure or pain. The author shows the interconnectedness of senses, but I feel the argument against ocularcentrism in the final chapter is a little incoherent.
With a focus on the influence of the Enlightenment on how people used their senses to know their world, it is inevitable that this is Eurocentric.

[Karla Kitalong]

The main reason for reading this was to contextualize the visual turn within the scope of all 5 senses. She shows how, although we tend to privilege the visual, in the Enlightenment, taste, smell, hearing, and to a slightly lesser extent, touch were also attended to. She's all about the synthesis of sensory experience, and the ways in which people's use of different senses was altered during the Enlightenment.

I only read this book because I picked it up at a used book kiosk at the farmer's market, but I'm glad I read it. I've mostly dealt with the visual, but other senses are also interesting and informative. The only chapter I almost gagged over was the one on eating "exotic" animals like mice. Ewwww. Skim it if you read it.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 star

A fascinating debut. The Sensational Past guides us to have a more complete view of the Enlightenment era. I enjoyed it more than I expected.

This book explores many aspects of an era, so if you have interests in history/philosophy/literature/aestheticism/gastronomy/or even economic history, and you need something fun and light to read, get this book.

Purnell delivered her message very well in showing us how "each experience, moment, and feeling matters" in learning history, and the Enlightenment era was more than Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau. I learned a lot of new things here from the less known thinkers and scientists who shaped the culture in their era.

(And I really love that cover. Books that use pre-Raphaelite painting always won my money.)

[Becca Housden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting overview into the Enlightenment and how people viewed senses. I would definitely love to read more in depth examinations of specific parts of the book, as due to the nature of its approach, it cannot go into much depth.
I’m not sure how well the book makes it’s argument that it brings forward in the conclusion. While the conclusion itself is well argued, and I can agree with it, I don’t think it was really obvious in the earlier chapters. Instead they read more as general history overviews, rather than a major historical argument.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read on how the senses were viewed during the Enlightenment. The author touched on a wide variety of areas of historical interest from foodways and fashion to science and medicine. In a way I think perhaps she was almost too ambitious. The later chapters started to lose my interest a bit, but on the whole a worthwhile read.

[Carolanne Saunders Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting. Made me think about how visual we have become and how different that is from earlier times. Would love to see more about how non-western societies perceptions have changed and how it impacts their view of the world.

[Shellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pearl of a book that is entertaining as it is informative. I will be looking for more by this author.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was really interesting and the author tied in the history and themes of senses well.

[Mike Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and presented, but had to wait until the epilogue to put it all together.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, fascinating, and weird history, my favorite kind.

[Katie Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, couldn't put this book down! Great mix of informative and entertaining.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t actually finish this book but would love to go back and re read it someday

[Mike Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read full of oddities from the past. After recently reading so much about the presidents I got a huge kick thinking about surly John Adams in Paris during this time period. No wonder he hated it so much!

[Arlene S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sensational Past--as in "sensory--historical". Certainly a new take for me on aspects of the "age of reason" or the Enlightenment. Author's stated purpose: "...to give you a solid understanding of the eighteenth century through an unexpected and unfamiliar lens: how people experienced their senses in daily life." Author is a historian (and most of it reads pretty much like a university textbook), so intro. and conclusion were the most interesting to me and I started skimming some of the detailed chapters, even though there were some pretty bizarre ( to modern ears and eyes) historical examples.
Some quotes here:
"the ways we use, ... consider ... perceive sensations are just as historically and and geographically specific as the clothes we wear or the food we eat."
On the eighteenth century concept and use of the word 'sensibility': "the mind was considered to be a direct product of sensory experience" and "people . . were well aware of sensibility and its power to connect their sensory experience to mental and emotional states. . . .". Example of sensibility usage; Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility -- "Elinor Dashwood, the reserved, pragmatic heroine, best represents 'sense' . . .Her sister, Marianne Dashwood, was characterized by 'sensibility" demonstrated by the fact that ...joys could have no moderation."
Another quote: "These chapters will focus on how ideas about the senses have changed over time, but throughout the book, you will be introduced to other common sensory tropes that are more historical than our intuition would lead us to believe. For example, we're taught early on that 'seeing is believing,' and modern science tends to rely on observation to verity the truth of claims. Yet in the eighteenth century, sight was not considered to be as dominant or objective as many deem it today. Indeed, in the Enlightenment, touch was frequently considered to be the most truthful of the senses, since the eyes could easily deceive."

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually didn't read the last 30 pages of this book, even though I did enjoy it. I loved the author's one liners! The author's interesting take on the Enlightenment and its sensibilities was very though provoking, but toward the end I just wanted to move on to the next thing...

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eminently readable uncovering of how the role of each sense in our daily life has changed over time – and how wrong we are to assume that the way we perceive, breathe, taste, et al. throughout the day is anything like what it would have been in other centuries and countries. The Sensational Past is funny, risqué, and fascinating.

[Galina Krasskova · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow...I've always thought the "Enlightenment" ruined the world, and this book does nothing to dissuade me from that opinion lol.