Racist Roots -- New Perspectives on French Thinkers

Author: Pierre-André Taguieff
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: It is essential to distinguish between two views of racism. The universalist view reduces racism to a doctrine of difference, leading to identification based on a single standard, thereby denying human unity. The doctrine of difference reduces racism to a universal proposition that can be recognized from a single standard, that is, the denial of cultural, racial specificity or the desire to eliminate the characteristics of a group. Humans are not born racists; they become racists. After becoming racists, they may no longer be racists. The racist behavior of a social actor cannot be explained by the person's tendencies or nature. The primary explanatory factor for attitudes or actions toward racism is the environment.