R

racism
The idea or attitude that the human species is separated
into different races (European, African, Asian, etc.) and
ethnic groups and that these ethnic or geographical dif-
ferences affect intellectual and social differences. So, for
example, white racism historically asserted that
Africans’ black skin also distinguished them in mental,
moral, and cultural capacities. Often, this racist view
ranked different groups in terms of superiority, so it
identified certain races as “inferior” or deficient in
some area (e.g., the stereotypes that black people are
lazy or oversexed, that Chinese are mysterious and
sneaky, etc.). Such racism is as old as humanity:
Ancient tribes showed negative attitudes toward each
other and attributed negative characteristics to them.
Traditional Chinese culture regarded non-Chinese peo-
ple as “barbarians”; CLASSICALGreek culture (such as in
ARISTOTLE) saw all non-Greeks as irrational; ancient
Israelites, as God’s “chosen people,” looked down on
non-Jews (or “Gentiles”); Muslims believe they are
God’s only true people.
Such racism changed only with the spread of Chris-
tianity, which claimed all people were God’s children:
In St. Paul’s words (Galatians 3:26–28), “In Christ
there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female;

but all are one in Christ.” This Christian ideal of the

interrelationship of all people (or CATHOLICuniversal-

ism transcending nationality and ethnic identity)

remains incomplete, even in the Christian world,

when nationalist orthodox churches (Russian, Greek)

and separate denominations (Catholic, Protestant)

belie the unity of the faithful.

MODERN, ENLIGHTENMENT science advanced racist

ideas through early anthropology and SOCIAL DARWIN-

ISM. Classifications by race and ethnicity were consid-

ered valid into the 20th century. The violent

consequences of this in NAZI Germany where racist

theories led to the near-extermination of the Jewish

people showed the genocidal consequences of racism.

Only in the United States of America, because of its

racial, religious, and ethnic mix is racism clearly

denounced; most countries and cultures in the world

adhere to some form of racial prejudice or NATIONAL-

ISM. This renders international politics difficult, given

the racist tendency to “dehumanize” other races, justi-

fying warfare and inhumane treatment of foreign peo-

ples. Various United Nations proclamations on HUMAN

RIGHTShave advocated EQUALITYof races and cultures,

but the human tendency to regard its own cultural

identity as superior is stubborn and difficult to amelio-

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