Local environmental knowledge, cultural go-betweens and Linnaean scientists in the Dutch colonial world

Abstract

<div lang="en" class="abs"><p class="abs_header">Abstract</p><p>The aim of early modern natural historians was a universal system of classification encompassing the natural resources of the whole world. The only feasible way to write global natural histories was through networks of collectors. The creation of the Linnaean Taxonomic system was achieved through a knowledge network that included correspondents and field workers sent out to explore the natural resources of different parts of the world. Although historians of science have remarked on Linnaeus’ and his students’ proclivity to rely on local knowledge and adopt its elements, for the most part this historiography is a celebration of European conquest over nature. This chapter examines how Linnaeus and his disciples set out to solve these disparities by silencing dissonant voices in the writing of global natural history. Yet, they could not camouflage the crucial role of cultural go-betweens in providing local environmental and medical knowledge to scientists, who were essentially outsiders in the multiple spaces of natural historical investigation.</p></div>