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Dutch Anatomist, Anthropologist, and Naturalist



Who: Petrus Camper (1722–1789)


What: Developed the "facial angle" theory to compare the physiognomy of different

races.


When: Mid to late 18th century



Details: Camper's "facial angle" theory was used to measure the angle between the

forehead and the jawline, comparing humans to animals. He claimed that the facial angles of Black people were closer to those of apes, while Europeans had angles more similar to classical Greek statues, which he considered ideal.


Why and How It Was Racist: Camper's theories were used to argue that Black people were biologically inferior to white people, providing a scientific rationale for racial discrimination and colonization.


Sources: Lynn, M.R. (2002). [Review of the book Race and Aesthetics in the Anthropology of Petrus Camper (1722-1789)]. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 57(2), 228- 229. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/15327.

Panese, F. (2014). The creation of the “negro” at the turn of the nineteenth century: Petrus Camper, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, and Julien-Joseph Virey. In The Invention of Race (pp. 48-59). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315813318-4/creation-negro- turn-nineteenth-century-francesco-panese

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