Who: Robert Knox (1791–1862)
What: Authored works that supported the idea of racial superiority and inferiority.
When: 1850
Details: Robert Knox is known for his book "The Races of Men: A Fragment,"
published in 1850, in which he argued that race was the primary determinant of human behavior and societal development. He claimed that the Anglo-Saxon race was superior to all others and that racial mixing would lead to societal decline. Knox's work was influential in promoting scientific racism in Britain and beyond.
Why and How It Was Racist: Knox's pseudoscientific arguments about racial superiority and inferiority provided justification for colonialism, slavery, and racial segregation, reinforcing the belief in white supremacy.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Biddiss MD.T hePolitics of Anatomy: Dr Robert Knox and VictorianRacism.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 1976;69(4):245-250. doi:10.1177/003591577606900402
Comments