HARALD KLEINSCHMIDT. Perception and Action in Medieval Europe. Rochester, N.Y.: Boydell. 2005. Pp. viii, 198. $80.00
Sean L. Field
Harald Kleinschmidt's new book addresses the history of aesthetics and ethics, understood broadly as standards perception concepts action. At its heart lies a deceptively simple-sounding argument: relationship between action changed during course European Middle Ages. Modern Europeans are presumed to regard separate; person receives exterior impressions, an active cognitive process intervenes, individual then decides upon appropriate It was not always thus, or so Kleinschmidt asserts. His quarrel is with theorists from John Locke Max Weber who have assumed that intrinsically discrete concepts. claims by recovering early medieval, group-oriented outlook, we can appreciate how unique modern North Americans assumption really is. The first three chapters investigate five senses, arguing demise medieval group-centered identities dissolved link Chapter one deals seeing hearing. As long area such visual subordinated group-bound standards, image Carolingian Gospel book, for example, could be direct command viewer pray emperor. Skimming quickly over vast art historical terrain, author argues in twelfth century “the innate severed when artists began place priority on depicting spatial hierarchies” (p. 35). In realm music, tenth onward church rejected effect-provoking capacity aural perception” 37) it associated pre-Christian cults dead, insisted measurable temporal sequences apparently impacted musical audiences only “diffuse affective sense” 41). two investigates miraculous case villagers Kölbik who, divine punishment singing dancing churchyard instead attending Mass, were reportedly forced dance entire year around 1015. Here kinship structures gained power, village entered liminal period where cult dead still linked enactment songs dances,” but “found difficult return normal life their because they receive supportive energy may expected priest locally residing kin members” (pp. 52–53). takes issue Lucien Fèbvre Norbert Elias assessing changing perceptions smell, touch, taste. sixteenth-century urban areas, smell directed elites control own malodorous emissions, emphasizing self-regulation defined sophisticates against rural lower-class boors. Similarly, aristocratic notions interpersonal touching shifted ideas about purposeful transfers norms stressed avoidance unintentional contact, while understanding meals reinforcements social order within groups had already given way eleventh emphasis quantity quality food established elites' distance inferiors. If chronological regional relationships these changes remain unexplained, clearly sees all them helping shift sensory mechanism group integration marker difference.
The American Historical Review