Race and Language

by Edward Augustus Freeman

RACE AND LANGUAGE.

Genres: History, Philosophy

108 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2016

About the author

English historian, architectural artist, and Liberal politician, as well as a one-time candidate for Parliament. He held the position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The doctrine of race is essentially an artificial doctrine, a learned doctrine.”

I read this from Vol. 28 of the Harvard Classics. I don’t have a great grasp of some of the races and cultures it was talking about. Interesting to see though that he argues that with some exceptions, language is the determining factor of identifying race, but race is basically a social construct. Still contemplating how I feel about this.

[Karleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Race and Language is an essay written in the late 19th century that says that race, a continuity of blood, doesn’t really work exist, at least to the point of defining a nation. This is because through the conquest of nations and the “adoption” of races within other races (e.i. The Latin Conquest, The Norman Conquest, the Saxon Conquest, etc.), the bloodline has become intermixed and new races have been formed because of this. With this in mind, Freeman believes that language, not race, is the defining characteristic of nationality.

Freeman’s essay only focused on Europe. It would be interesting to read a history of language adoption from another part of the world, perhaps with less conquests (does that exist?). Does this play out similarly in Asia, The Americas, Africa? Certainly colonization sped up this process, but it seems like this has always been happening. Even the Israelites, who were a very exclusive party, were adopted into other races and nations. The north kingdom in particular were adopted into the Syrian and surrounding nationalities by the time the Persian Empire had its heyday.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freeman argues that language and cultural ties are far more influential in shaping human groups than physical race, challenging the reductionist view that race is solely determined by biology. He suggests that historical events like migrations and conquests have played a crucial role in forming social and linguistic bonds, which often transcend racial lines.

This essay is highly relevant today, as discussions around race continue to evolve, with a growing emphasis on the fluidity of identity and the role of culture and language in shaping who we are. Freeman's work resonates with contemporary perspectives that see race as a social construct, reminding us that identity is shaped by far more than just physical appearance. His ideas encourage a deeper understanding of how cultural and linguistic connections can bridge divides, making his insights timely and impactful in today’s increasingly multicultural world.

[Matthew Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a lot to say about this blessedly brief book, but still unpacking it a bit. Suffice it to say for now, this kind of thinking and teaching explains a lot about the racist structures that undergird our institutions. The fact that this was considered “required reading” by the president of Harvard in the early 1900s says a lot about how deeply entrenched white supremacy was at the highest levels, and explains how it permeated our schools, laws and culture. This kind of thinking was pumped into America's most elite, who went on to work in the highest positions of government, corporations, banks, etc.

For the purpose of historical context, I think this book is still worth reading. The one star is actually not so much a reflection of the racism, but partly a reflection of how absurd and poorly supported his argument is.