Contents -- Translator's Preface -- Preface -- Prologue -- Chapter 1. Buffon and the Inferiority of the Animals Species in America -- I. The Absence of Large Wild Animals -- II. The Deterioration of the Domestic Animals -- III. The Hostility of Nature -- IV. The Impotence of the Savage -- V. The Cold and Humidity of the American Environment -- VI. Putrescence and Generation - Water and Life -- VII. America as a New Continent -- VIII. The Larger Species More Perfect and More Stable than the Small -- IX. Buffon's Aversion for Minutiae and Small Animals -- X. Quantitative Criteria and Literary Scruples -- XI. The Stable Superior to the Changeable: Aristotle -- XII. Volume and Perfection in Modern Zoology -- XIII. The Instability and Decadence of the Domestic Species -- XIV. Reflections on the New World -- XV. Nomenclature as the Cause of Confusion -- XVI. Conclusions -- A. Buffon and Montesquieu -- B. Zoological Geography: Europe and America -- C. The New Concept of Species -- Chapter 2. Some Figures of the Enlightenment -- I. Hume and the Inferiority of the Inhabitants of the Tropics -- II. Bodin's Theory of Climates -- III. The Theory of Climates from Tasso to Hume -- IV. Voltaire: The Beardless Indian and the Cowardly Lion -- V. Raynal: America as Immature and the Americans Decrepit -- VI. Marmontel and the Defense of the Weak and Wretched Americans -- Chapter 3. De Pauw and the Inferiority of the Men of America -- I. Faith in Progress and Society -- II. The Americans as Degenerate -- III. Exaggerations in the Anti-American Thesis -- IV. The Causes of the Catastrophe -- V. Bacon: America a Sodden Continent -- VI. The Indian as Animal and the Indian as Weakling -- VII. The Indian a Slave by Nature: Aristotle, Las Casas, and Sepulveda -- VIII. Climate and Natural Slavery -- IX. The Ineffectiveness of the Laws for the Protection of the Indians.

Chapter 4. European Reactions to de Pauw -- I. Reactions Immediate and Delayed -- II. Pernety and the American Giants -- III. Pernety Against Buffon: The Counterattack on Europe -- IV. De Pauw's Answer to Pernety: Degeneration and Progress -- V. Pernety's Second Offensive: Repetita Minime Juvant -- VI. De Pauw's Opinion Unaltered -- VII. The Philosopher La Douceur and the Natives of North America -- VIII. Paolo Frisi Criticizes de Pauw's Physicoclimatic Thesis -- IX. Delisle de Sales, de Pauw's Admiring Adversary -- X. The Abbe Roubaud: America and the Physiocrats -- XI. Galiani: The "Roughcast" Continent and the World of the Future -- XII. The Glorious Future of the West -- XIII. Mlle Phlipon and Her Schoolfriend -- XIV. Voltaire, Frederick of Prussia, and de Pauw's Second Recherches -- XV. Buffon's New Position: America as Immature, but the American Strong and Handsome -- Chapter 5. The Second Phase of the Dispute -- I. The Polemic Expanded and Uplifted -- II. Robertson and the Vastness and Poverty of Nature in America -- III. Goldsmith's Songless Birds -- IV. Robertson and the American Native -- V. The Explorers of Polynesia: James Cook and George Forster, Horace Walpole and Lord Kames -- VI. Two Supporters of de Pauw: Daniel Webb and Antonio Fonticelli -- VII. The Long-lasting Antagonism Between Spaniard and Creole -- VIII. The Pride of the Creoles -- IX. The Defense of the Creole: Garcilaso and Feijoo -- X. The Expulsion of the Jesuits -- XI. The Spanish Jesuits: Father Nuix Makes Use of de Pauw -- XII. De Pauw's First American Opponent -- XIII. The American Jesuits: Father Clavigero -- A. Fundamental Aim of the Work, the Refutation of de Pauw -- B. The Arguments Reversed -- C. The Defense of the Mexican Indian -- D. Moral Vices, Religion, and Cannibalism -- E. The Precursors of His Polemical Technique.

XIV. Father Molina's Natural History of Chile -- A. The Rehabilitation of Nature in Chile -- B. Respectful Disagreement with Buffon -- XV. Fathers Velasco, Jolis, and Peramas: Quito, the Chaco, and the River Plate -- XVI. Carli's American Letters -- XVII. Franklin and the North Americans' Stature -- XVIII. Paine: The Promise of Greatness in America's Nature -- XIX. Hamilton and Crevecoeur -- XX. Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virginia -- A. The MAmmoth and America's Humidity -- B. The Animals Compared by Volume -- C. The Indios and the Redskins -- D. The White Man in America -- E. Buffon, the Panther, and the Elk -- XXI. Filippo Mazzei: Experience Against Idealization and Calumny -- XXII. The Botanist Castiglioni and the Lascivious North American Colonists -- XXIII. The Vindication of America's Youth -- XXIV. Herder and the American Problem -- Chapter 6. The Reaction to de Pauw in Spanish America -- I. Characterisitcs of the Latin American Reaction to the European Slanders -- II. Davalos and the Climate of Peru -- III. Salas and the Happy Earth of Chile -- IV. Iturri and Munoz's History -- V. Moxo: Mexico Defended by a Spaniard -- VI. Unanue: Lima's Climate and Her Collegians' Erudition -- VII. Davila Condemarin: A Belated Apology of the University of San Marcos -- VIII. Caldas and the Cold in New Granada -- IX. The Mexican S.T. de Mier and de Pauw in the Cortes of Cadiz -- X. Other Reactions in Latin America: The Youthfulness of the New World -- XI. The Honduran J.C. Valle and the Mission of America -- Chapter 7. Hegel and His Contemporaries -- I. The Americans Politically Dismissed and Their Zoological Problems Dissolved -- II. Kant: A New Opinion of the American -- III. Thomas Moore: A Wretched People in a Splendid Land -- IV. Volney and Perrin du Lac: Criticisms of the North Americans -- V. Keats: The Flight of the Dryads.

VI. Byron and Shelley: The Recherches sur les Grecs and the Radiant Destiny of the United States -- VII. Chateaubriand: America's Pernicious Splendor -- VIII. Goethe: An America Without Basalt or Manor Houses -- IX. Lenau: The Promised Land Becomes the Accursed Land -- X. Leopardi: America's Decadence Becomes Universal -- XI. De Maistre: The Degeneration of the American Savage -- XII. Fabre d'Olivert: America Rejected by the Theosophists -- XIII. The Reaction of the Scientists: Barton and Humboldt -- A. Benjamin Smith Barton and the Learned North Americans -- B. Humboldt's Enthusiasm for Tropical America -- C. His Criticisms of Buffon and de Pauw -- XIV. Hegel: America Immature and Impotent -- A. Overall Judgment, Severe and Impassive -- B. The Restoration of the Philosophy of Nature -- C. Radical Antievolutionism -- D. The Impotence of Nature -- E. Deduction of the Hemispheres and the Continents -- F. Old World and New World -- G. The Impotence of America in Its Fauna -- H. The American Birds and Their Songs -- I. The Savage as Man of Nature -- J. The American Aborigines -- K. Contemporary America: America and the "Spirits of Peoples" -- L. The United States and South America -- M. The Character of Hegel's Error -- N. The Thesis Less Vigorous in Hegel Than in Buffon -- O. The Historicization and Dissolution of the Thesis -- P. The Chain of Being and the Old Metaphysics -- Chapter 8. The Dispute's Trivialization and Obstinate Vitality -- I. Dislocation of the Terms of the Polemic After Hegel -- II. Friedrich Schlegel: The Zoological and Anthropological Poverty of America -- III. Zoologists and Anthropologists: Guano and the Savages -- IV. Darwin: The South American Fauna and the Evolution of the Species -- V. Schopenhauer: America's Animals and Savages as Decadent or Imperfect Forms -- VI. The Saint-Simonians and Auguste COmte.

VII. Edgar Quinet: The Insularity of America and the Triumph of the Humblest Creatures -- VIII. British Criticisms of American Society: Frances Wright and Mrs. Trollope -- IX. Echoes of Mrs. Trollope: Pro-Americanism and Anti-Americanism in Stendhal and Jacquemont -- X. Other Critics of the Right: Anthony Trollope and Thomas Hamilton -- XI. Critics of the Left: Miss Martineau and Captain Marryat -- XII. Dickens: Nature and Society Equally Putrescent -- XIII. Reactions in the United States -- A. Emerson and the Freshness of American Culture -- B. Lowell and Melville: Messianisim and Desperation -- C. Thoreau: Primitivism Rediscovered -- D. Walt Whitman: The Athletic Democracy's Emphatic Oracles -- XIV. The Polemic's Last Metamorphosis: Immigrants and Expatriates -- XV. The Young World Quite Old -- XVI. De Pauw's Oblivion and Secret Immortality -- XVII. The Scientific Revision and the Buffonian Calumny -- Chapter 9. Supplements and Digressions -- I. The Originality of Buffon -- II. the Tropicalization of the White Man -- III. The Mexicans' Human Sacrifices -- IV. The Impotence of Nature -- V. The Quakers, the Marquis, and the Girondist -- VI. A Latecomer and His Disciple: Drouin de Bercy and Giuseppe Compagnoni -- Bibliography of Works Cited -- Suggestions for Further Research -- Index.