Being beyond: The Black Legend and how we got over it. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Slater, John; López-Terrada, Maríaluz
• Is Part Of: History of science. Volume 55:Number 2(2017:Jun.)
• Page Start: 148
• Page End: 166
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Spain -- the Black Legend -- history of science -- early modern Spanish science -- bibliometrics -- historiography; Science -- History -- Periodicals; History of Medicine -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 509.005
• DOI: 10.1177/0073275317694897
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0073-2753

Abstract

We used to think it was the job of a historian of Spanish science to combat the negative evaluations of Hispanic cultures that came to be known as the Black Legend. Paradoxically, attempts to amend dominant narratives of the history of science (such as the Scientific Revolution) so that they might accommodate Spain bolstered the very stories we meant to dismantle. Caring about the Black Legend deformed the history we were trying to write and never convinced the people we hoped to sway. In this article, we provide an overview of the historiographic tendencies that most shaped our careers – responses to the Black Legend, such as contributionist history and bibliometrics – and explain why we have chosen to move on.