The Perfection of Nature

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This work explores how Renaissance Italy and the Spanish Empire were influenced by a fascination with breeding. While the Renaissance is often celebrated for its belief in individual potential, it also harbored darker elements. The same figures who advanced European understanding of humanity and laid the groundwork for the Scientific Revolution were equally preoccupied with controlling both human and natural conditions. Mackenzie Cooley traces how concepts of race and inheritance emerged from animal breeding practices during this period, particularly under the Spanish Empire's influence. One aspect of the Renaissance embraced a liberal view of human potential, while another constrained it through biological determinism, equating humans with animals. The term "race" originally referred to selectively bred animal stock, viewed as a mutable outcome of reproductive efforts. As the Spanish Empire expanded, this notion transitioned from nonhuman to human contexts. Cooley illustrates how the dangerous idea of controlled reproduction resurfaced, leading to a complex and evolving discourse on race and breeding. By providing historical context to discussions of race and the relationships between humans and animals, the work offers a nuanced examination of generation and its implications in the more-than-human world.