French Physician, Anatomist, and Anthropologist
Paul Broca is known for his research on brain size and the development of Broca's area, a region of the brain linked to speech.
Who: Paul Broca (1824–1880)
What: Conducted research on brain size and its relation to intelligence, contributing to scientific racism.
When: 1865
Details: Paul Broca is known for his research on brain size and the development of Broca's area, a region of the brain linked to speech. He measured skulls and brains, claiming that larger brain sizes indicated higher intelligence. Broca's studies often concluded that white Europeans had larger brains and were therefore more intelligent than other races. His work supported the racist ideologies of his time and was used to justify the oppression of non-European peoples.
Why and How It Was Racist: Broca's research reinforced the idea of white superiority and provided a scientific basis for racial discrimination and colonialism.
Sources:
Websites
The Science Museum Group. (n.d.). Paul Broca: Science Museum Group Collection. Paul Broca | Science Museum Group. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp46570/paul-broca%E2%80%AF
Thomas, M. (2020, June 8). Racialization, language science, and nineteenth-century anthropometrics. History and Philosophy of the Language Sciences. https://hiphilangsci.net/2020/06/08/racialization-language-science/