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French Naturalist, Mathematician, and Cosmologist



Who: Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788)


What: Published "Histoire Naturelle," which included theories about the racial

differences among humans.


When: Mid-18th century


Details: In his multi-volume work "Histoire Naturelle" (1749–1788), Buffon argued that environmental factors, including climate and diet, caused physical and behavioral differences among human races. He claimed that Africans were inferior due to their environment and that Europeans were the pinnacle of human development.


Why and How It Was Racist: Buffon's work suggested that racial differences were due to inherent and environmental factors, providing a basis for the belief in European superiority and justifying colonial and imperialist policies.


Sources: https://exhibits.lib.unc.edu/exhibits/show/race- deconstructed/classification--

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