Joseph Murphy

Prof. Amy Bush

PHIL 105-113

5 February 2017

The Science of Race

In previous eras, an article with the title of this paper would be published with its goal in

mind of differentiating people of different skin color. The Science of Race would be a study done

to prove the inherent differences between the black and the white man, the Asian and the white

man, the American Indian and the white man: everything distinguishing the white man and

those around him. In fact, while perhaps not the exact title, there were multiple studies done

with this purpose, looking at every physical aspect of the black man in comparison to the white

man, comparing ears, noses, feet, and everything in between. Unfortunately, these studies were

not done unbiasedly; most, if not all, of these studies were done as part of the Eugenics

movement, whose aim was ultimate racial purification. They used science to further white

America at the expense of everyone else.

Scientists are not entirely to blame for the propaganda that they pushed unto Americas

unconscious mind. They work within their social constructs, and the social divide between

blacks and whites was huge. Initially, there were no studies done on the biological difference

between blacks and whites; whites had simply taken for granted that the black was less than

them. However, Americas founding statement of all men are created equal had given rise to

questions being asked concerning the hypocrisy that stemmed from this statement, as most

colored men were enslaved by the whites. To solve this conundrum, people like Samuel Morton

embarked on wild endeavors in efforts to prove the structural differences among several races.

He and other scholars, despite having different results for the most intelligent race (always
correlating with their country of residence/origin), always found through skull studies such as

Crania Americana that the blacks were the least intelligent, essentially proving that they were

unable to exist within a free, more civilized, white society. This science proved that they were

inferior.

Other scientists, such as John Campbell, Josiah Nott, and Louis Agassiz, all found

reasons to support Jeffersons all men belief while still supporting slavery, with their

reasoning resting on the fact that blacks were in fact a separate species. When Nott and Agassiz

co-wrote Types of Mankind, a book that was a culmination of all of the research justifying that

blacks, American Indians, Asians, etc. were different species, it was an instant hit. The U.S.

Departments of State, Navy, and Treasury were among the first purchasers. Satisfaction came to

both government and the scientific community as more and more people accepted the social

idea that whites were fundamentally different from blacks and others, and they had scientific

reason to clear their conscience. The government was still operating under a racist system as

recently as 100 years ago, not allowing non-whites to become citizens, with the Supreme Court

using science as its reasoning (although they later claimed that race was subjective to the view of

the implied average white common man). What we know now is that this science actually had

no reasoning and was very selective in its data gathering. The results from Nott, Agassiz, etc.

came from confirmation bias, and the studies were not done randomly. In reality, science tells

us a very different story than what 19th century prejudice tells. Studies such as the one conducted

throughout the first episode of the Race trilogy, observing the differences in portions of

students DNA, show the clear contrast between the ideas about science and the actual scientific

truth. Even today in a more educated society, kids and many adults think of biology as

something to be associated with race. By examining the psychology of these individuals and

society as a collective whole, it becomes more reasonable as to why researchers such as Nott and

Agassiz jumped to their own racial conclusions and found evidence to support their statements.
Although there was an evident lack of supporting data (because it didnt exist), their existing

beliefs were a definitive factor in attempting to gather research.

Race is something that we perceive as individuals. Its certainly not biological, as we can

have different ideas as to what identifies a particular race. Many people dont consider Indians

to be Asian, despite their geographical origin, and many consider lightskin blacks to be less

black than their darker peers. However, what most ultimately use to determine race is simply

the amount of melanin that is present in ones body, usually determined through a long lineage

of genetics and varied ancestry. Although we wouldnt normally consider a white to be from

Africa given what we are normally presented with on a day-to-day basis, there are plenty of

white South Africans that identify with that race. However, there is another aspect of race, one

that we commonly associate with the melanin factor that goes into racial determination.

When we see someones skin color, we tend to make initial judgments based off of what

we see. Our society, through years of reinforcing often incorrect stereotypes, has taught to be

wary of darker people and that foreigners dont know how to speak English. It has taught and

backed the idea of the white mans success. In todays society, many people of color feel

obligated to fit into these stereotypical roles that have been structured for us by ancient customs.

Our race in a sense defines who we are, what we do, and what we are capable of doing. While a

painful reality, it is a reality nonetheless. Fixing this would require a huge cultural shift, initiated

by those who started the negative propaganda in the first place: the government needs to make

America great for the first time. It was never truly great from the start.