What is Race?

Posted in: ECCANDC
Ok. I stated in the earlier article that all men/women are direct descendents of the black man/race. Here is further insight into that subject we call race. What are your thoughts on race?
Earliest racial theories
In many ancient civilizations, individuals with widely varying physical appearances became full members of a society by growing up within that society or by adopting that society's cultural norms (Snowden 1983; Lewis 1990).

When the lighter ancient Egyptians were in power they called the darker group the ''the evil race of Ish'' while when the darker ancient Egyptians were in power they called the lighter group the ''the pale, degraded race of Arvad''.[1] For example, the Ancient Egyptian sacred text called Book of Gates identifies four ethnic categories that are now conventionally labeled ''Egyptians'', ''Asiatics'', ''Libyans'', and ''Nubians'' (see Ancient Egypt and race), but such distinctions tended to conflate differences as defined by physical features such as skin tone, with tribal and national identity.

Classical civilizations from Rome to China tended to invest much more importance in familial or tribal affiliation than with one's physical appearance (Dik?¶tter 1992; Goldenberg 2003). Nevertheless, attempts were made to equate physical characteristics such as hair and eye colour with psychological and moral qualities. These sometimes took a form comparable to ideas of racial hierarchy. A comment made by the historian of the 3rd century Han Dynasty describes barbarians of blonde hair and green eyes ''who resemble the monkeys from which they are descended.''[1](Gossett, pp. 4). Ancient Greek and Roman authors also attempted to explain and categorize visible biological differences among peoples known to them, claiming that visible differences such as nose-shape and skin color were related to differences in temperament.[2] Such categories often also included fantastical human-like beings that were supposed to exist in far-away lands. Some Roman writers adhered to an environmental determinism in which climate could affect the appearance and character of groups (Isaac 2004).

Greek Hippocrates in 5th century BCE considered racial temperament to be the product of the environment, (Gossett, pp. 6).[1] He considered Greeks to be warlike and brave because they lived in a barren soil, (Gossett, pp. 6).[1] On the other hand, the Asians (Near East/Middle East Asian) were weak and peaceful because they lived in a luscious vegetation, (Gossett, pp. 6).[1] Aristotle, a Greek, distinguished his race as the Hellenic race which had both spirit, the ability to govern and intelligence whereas Europeans had spirit but lacked intelligence and the ability to govern due to the cold climate, (Gossett, pp. 6).[1] He considered the Asians to be intelligent but lack spirit and be in a constant state of slavery, (Gossett, pp. 6).[1] A Native North American racial theory in the form of a legend held that American Indians were superior to blacks and whites, (Gossett, pp. 7).[1] The legend said that in God's first attempt to make a human he cooked him too long, making blacks, (Gosett, pp. 7).[1] In God's second attempt, he didn't cook them enough, making whites, (Gossett, pp. 7).[1] In God's third attempt he realized the golden brown perfection of the American Indian, (Gossett, pp. 7).[1]

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