The Inquisition and the decline of science in Spain

A traditional argument that the Spanish Inquisition did not depress scientific research is that Spain experienced its Golden Age (1492-1657) after the Inquisition was formed (1478). Yet the arts, rather than the sciences, flourished; and we argue that the Inquisition had important chilling effects on the latter. Historically focused on persecuting suspected Jews, the Inquisition began refocusing its efforts on Protestantism, especially during the Council of Trent (1545-1563). The discovery of Protestant networks in two Spanish cities in 1557-58 helped fuel an abrupt increase in, and re-targeting of, inquisitorial activity. Scholars should have reacted by limiting their contacts and by exiting certain fields and institutions. To provide evidence for our account, we first document Spain's decline in STEM fields, relative to the rest of Europe. We then provide the first systematic evidence on scholarly interactions among early modern Spanish book authors, documenting an immediate reduction in interactions after 1559, followed by a downward trend. We also document a significant reversal in a previously upward trend in affiliation with secular educational institutions. Since interacting with others working on similar problems is essential to progress in the sciences, our work helps explain the puzzling disjuncture between the glory of Spanish literary and visual arts during the Golden Age, on the one hand, and the poverty of its contributions to science, on the other.

学界传统观点认为，西班牙宗教裁判所（Spanish Inquisition）并未压制科学研究，其依据是西班牙在宗教裁判所于1478年成立后，迎来了1492-1657年的黄金时代。然而彼时繁荣的是艺术而非科学；我们的研究则认为，宗教裁判所对后者（科学）产生了显著的寒蝉效应。宗教裁判所最初以迫害疑似犹太人为核心目标，随后逐渐将镇压重心转向新教，这一转向在特伦托大公会议（Council of Trent，1545-1563）期间尤为显著。1557至1558年间，西班牙两座城市被查出存在新教联络网络，这一事件推动宗教裁判所的活动骤然升级，并重新调整了行动目标。彼时的学者本应通过限制学术交往、退出特定研究领域与学术机构来做出应对。为佐证本研究的核心论点，我们首先记录了西班牙在科学、技术、工程与数学（STEM）领域相较于欧洲其他地区的衰退态势。随后，我们首次提供了关于近代早期西班牙图书作者间学术互动的系统性实证证据，数据显示1559年后学术互动出现即时下降，随后整体呈现持续下行趋势。此外，我们还记录到，学者在世俗教育机构的任职比例此前呈持续上升态势，1559年后出现了显著的反向转折。鉴于与研究同类问题的同行开展互动是科学进步的必要前提，本研究有助于解释西班牙黄金时代文艺与视觉艺术辉煌灿烂，但其科学贡献却相对匮乏这一令人困惑的矛盾现象。