The Invention of Race

Race paradox

  • Race has no deterministic biological basis; all the same, race is extremely powerful that it can have life or death consequences

Race

  • can be defined as a group of people who share a set of characteristics; usually physical 

  • socially meaningful set of artificial distinctions based on biological differences

  • socially constructed

  • we make it seem as if it is natural because of how often we separate groups and judge based off of certain characteristics

Definitions agree:  racial groups are NOT biological facts (no sub-species)

How did we invent race???

  1. 500+ years ago 

  • race didn’t exist at all

  1. capitalism needs more, colonialism takes more resources to support capitalism, and that is justified by creating the idea of race

  1. 2025

  • race being one of the most important factors in our world today

Scientific racism (17th-19th century)

Social Darwinism:

  • application of Darwinian ideas to society

  • anything seen as lesser should not exist

  • NOT REAL

Eugenics (19th and 20th centuries):

  • pseudoscience that argues that controlling the fertility of certain groups can influence inheritable traits passes on from generation to generation