Seton Hall University How Does Voltaire Develop This Story for Comic Effect Questions

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In his account does Sugita Gempaku have his eye primarily on Japan? Or Europe? Or both?Were the roles of butchers in anatomical studies the same in Europe and Japan?Compare the reactions of these Japanese physicians to their established anatomical authorities to those of the European anatomists discussed in this chapter.What might lie behind this conjecture? How does it relate to some Europeans’ thought about non-Europeans?How does Voltaire turn the technical theological terms he uses here against the doctrine of the Trinity?Why would Voltaire choose to mock the Jesuits in this little dialogue? (Hint: See Chapter 14.)Why would Voltaire introduce the Chinese Emperor in this dialogue? (Hint: See Chapter 14.)How does Voltaire develop this story for comic effect?In this dialogue does Voltaire have his eye primarily on Europe? Or China? Or both?

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X e Enlightenment, 1550-1790: Attempt
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The next day, when we arrived at the location … Ryotaku
reached under his kimono to produce a Dutch book and
showed it to us. “This is a Dutch book of anatomy called
a
Tabulae Anatomicae. I bought this a few years ago when I
went to Nagasaki, and kept it.” As I examined it, it was the
same book I had and was of the same edition. We held each
other’s hands and exclaimed: “What a coincidence!” Ryotaku
continued by saying, “When I went to Nagasaki, I learned
and heard,” and opened this book. “These are called long in
Dutch, they are the lungs,” he taught us. “This is hart, or the
heart.” … However, they did not look like the heart given in
the Chinese medical books, and none of us were sure until we
could actually see the dissection.
Thereafter we went together to the place that was especially
set aside [for] us to observe the dissection. . .. That day, the
butcher pointed to this and that organ. After the heart, liver,
gall bladder and stomach were identified, he pointed to other
parts for which there were no names. “I don’t know their
names. But I have dissected quite a few bodies from my
youthful days. . .. Every time I had a dissection, I pointed out
to those physicians many of these parts, but not a single one
of them questioned ‘What was this,’ or ‘What was that?”” We
compared the body as dissected against the charts both
Ryotaku and I had, and could not find a single variance from
the charts. The Chinese Book of Medicine says that the lungs
are like the eight petals of the lotus flower, with three petals
hanging in front, three in back, and two petals forming like
two ears. . .. There were no such divisions, and the position
and shapes of intestines and gastric organs were all different
from those taught by the old theories. The official physicians
… had witnessed dissection seven or eight times. Whenever
they witnessed the dissection, they found that the old theories
contradicted reality. Each time they were perplexed and could
not resolve their doubts. Every time they wrote down what
lthev thouoht was strange They wrote in their hooks “The
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x signment 7 -The Scientific Revolution a
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names. But I have dissected quite a few bodies from my
youthful days. … Every time I had a dissection, I pointed out
to those physicians many of these parts, but not a single one
of them questioned “What was this,’ or ‘What was that?”” We
compared the body as dissected against the charts both
Ryotaku and I had, and could not find a single variance from
the charts. The Chinese Book of Medicine says that the lungs
are like the eight petals of the lotus flower, with three petals
hanging in front, three in back, and two petals forming like
two ears. . .. There were no such divisions, and the position
and shapes of intestines and gastric organs were all different
from those taught by the old theories. The official physicians
… had witnessed dissection seven or eight times. Whenever
they witnessed the dissection, they found that the old theories
contradicted reality. Each time they were perplexed and could
not resolve their doubts. Every time they wrote down what
they thought was strange. They wrote in their books, “The
more we think of it, there must be fundamental differences in
the bodies of Chinese and of the eastern barbarians [i.e.
Japanese].” I could see why they wrote this way….
We decided that we should also examine the shape of the
skeletons left exposed on the execution ground. We collected
the bones, and examined a number of them. Again, we were
struck by the fact that they all differed from the old theories
while conforming to the Dutch charts….
Voltaire Attacks Christianity
Voltaire wanted to present the ideas of the Enlightenment to a
large reading public. He therefore polished a literary style
that sparkled with wit and was laced with biting satire and
moral outrage. The two pieces presented below illustrate
Voltaire’s attack on traditional Christianity, “the infamous
winn” The
لهم ماه:1ا۔
thnthan
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x fic Revolution and the Enlightenment, 1
1
Chapter 17 – The Scientific Revolution and the
Enlightenment, 1550-1790
ACTIVITIES FOR ANALYZE AND COMPARE:
Enlightenment Attitudes About Tradition
A Dutch Lesson in Anatomy, Sugita Gempaku
a
Sugita Gempaku (su-ghee-ta Ghem-pah-koo) (1733–1817)
was a Japanese scholar and a pioneer in Dutch studies, a field
that allowed Japanese scholars to gain information about the
West. Trained as a physician and surgeon, Sugita Gempaku
was present at a dissection of a cadaver in 1771. Here is his
account of the events that led up to the dissection and his
reactions to it:
a
Somehow, miraculously I obtained a [Dutch] book on
anatomy. [Then] I received a letter from … the Town
Commissioner: “A post-mortem examination of the body of a
condemned criminal by a resident physician will be held
tomorrow. . .. You are welcome to witness it if you so desire.”
a
The next day, when we arrived at the location … Ryotaku
reached under his kimono to produce a Dutch book and
showed it to us. “This is a Dutch book of anatomy called
Tabulae Anatomicae. I bought this a few years ago when I
went to Nagasaki, and kept it.” As I examined it, it was the
same book I had and was of the same edition. We held each
other’s hands and exclaimed: “What a coincidence!” Ryotaku
continued by saying, “When I went to Nagasaki, I learned
and heard,” and opened this book. “These are called long in
Dutch, they are the lungs,” he taught us. “This is hart, or the
heart.”… However, they did not look like the heart given in
”
Ithe Chinese medical books and none of us were sure until we
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