The Racial Theories of Robert E. Park and Ruth Benedict

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In this article we shall discuss the racial theories of two reputable scholars and present briefly our own point of view.-We shall not, of course, give any consideration to the views of the political biologists adopted by these authors. Trying to deal scientifically with these theories is exceedingly depressing, for almost invariably their apparent objectivity is only a mask for an ulterior purpose. We cannot combat race prejudice by proving that it is wrong. The reason for this is that race prejudice is only a symptom of a materialistic social fact. If, for instance, we should discover by scientific method that Negroes and Chinese are superior to tall, long-skulled, blonds-and this is not far-fetched, since libraries have been written to prove the oppositethen, to the powers that be, so much the worse for Negroes and Chinese. Our proof accomplishes nothing. The white man's ideas about his racial superiority are rooted deeply in the social system; and it can be corrected only by overthrowing the system itself. Race prejudice is supported by a peculiar economic need, which guarantees force in its protection; and as a consequence, force alone will defeat it. By stepping clear of the whole unnumbered productions of intellectual apologists for Nordic racial pretentions Adolph Hitler has come-into the open and has shown quite clearly the real process by which Aryans are made and unmade. Those people are Aryans who have the physical might to support their claim. The study of race relations, then, is fundamentally a sociological study. In the past, however, the sociologists have not been sufficiently convincing in their analysis to command general recognition. We turn now to a consideration of the character of their thinking.