Botany in the Jesuit Missions in Spanish America and the Pacific and the contributions of Central European jesuits, 17th to 18th century

Abstract

The text focuses on the problem of European intellectual history and history of science, in relation to the conquest and colonization of overseas regions, especially America. The various problems of intellectual development and cultural transfers, brought about by the general opening of new horizonts, are discussed on the basis of documentation produced by the missionaries from the Central European provinces of the Society of Jesus, active in the New World in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Keywords

• Colonization
• America
• Society of Jesus
• missions
• botany
• history of science
• cultural transfer
• Central Europe
• 17th – 18th century