Racism

Abstract

Racism did not appear in one particular place or on a specific date. This article investigates the different aspects that characterised the development of racial thought. In doing so, it examines current research controversies and the different national historiographical traditions. It argues that racism was clearly a phenomenon of the modern age, largely confined to those regions dominated by Europeans. The article then explores the emergence of racial thought in the colonies settled by Europeans, the problem of Enlightenment philosophy and the triumph of biology in the late 19th century. Lastly, it discusses the question of whether – in the light of historical experience – racist thought is a thing of the past.