Changing the Body Through the Centuries

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the ways in which human beings have tried to change their bodily appearance through the ages. In the Middle Ages, the body was perceived to be unclean and corrupt, because all human beings were regarded as sinful. Any preoccupation with the physical was considered as an act of vanity, as only the soul could be pure. Over the subsequent centuries, taking charge of the outer appearance slowly became more accepted, as attempts at plastic surgery were made, chiefly through nose reconstruction for syphilis patients. These kinds of efforts thus have their root in allowing people who suffered some kind of disfigurement to regain an appearance that was as close as possible to ‘normal’: changes were made not because people wanted to be noticeable, but average. This motivation persisted through to the first half of the twentieth century, in particular focussing on efforts to restore facial features of soldiers wounded in World War I. Recently, however, more and more individuals change their bodies due to a desire to stand out. These changes also imply questions about how far body modification should be allowed, and whether legal measures are necessary in this context.

Translated by Eveline Heij and Miranda Jorritsma.