Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Sound…and Sex? An Exploration of Alternate Senses in the Eighteenth Century

How many senses are there? For most people, the gut reaction to this seemingly simple question would be five, but in eighteenth-century Europe, many philosophers argued for six, seven, or more. Today, scientists have identified up to 33 different senses, and sensory anthropologists have shown that different cultures have radically different concepts of the sensorium. So, what makes a sense a sense? In this session, we’ll dig into this question by taking a closer look at two eighteenth-century sensory contenders: sex and common sense, both of which were intimately connected to discussions of virtue and vice, as well as pleasure and pain.

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SPEAKER – CAROLYN PURNELL
Carolyn Purnell is a historian, writer, and lover of all things colorful. She is the author of Blue Jeans (2023) and The Sensational Past: How the Enlightenment Changed the Way We Use Our Senses (2017). Carolyn earned her Ph.D. in history from University of Chicago, and her work has appeared in publications including Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, CityLab by The Atlantic, and Apartment Therapy. Her research has received recognition from the National Endowment for the Humanities, European Commission, Huntington Library, Georges Lurcy Foundation, Brown Foundation of Fellows, and French Society for Historical Studies. Most recently, Carolyn wrote and produced “Pasture Prime,” a short film that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Webpage: carolynpurnell.com
IG: @carolynpurnell
The Sensational Past: https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Sensational-Past/
Blue Jeans: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/blue-jeans-9781501383755/

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