The Meaning of Race: Race, History and Culture in Western Society

by Kenan Malik

In The Meaning of Race , Kenan Malik throws new light on the nature and origins of ideas of racial difference. Arguing that the concept of 'race' is a means through which Western society has come to understand the relationship between humanity, society and nature, the book re-examines the relationship between Enlightenment thought and racial discourse, clarifies the nature of scientific racism, and presents a critique of postmodern theories of cultural 'difference'.

Genres: History, Politics, Race, Nonfiction, Social Science, Sociology

323 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Indian-born British writer, lecturer and broadcaster, trained in neurobiology and the history of science. As an academic author, his focus is on the philosophy of biology, and contemporary theories of multiculturalism, pluralism and race. These topics are core concerns in The Meaning of Race (1996), Man, Beast and Zombie (2000) and Strange Fruit: Why Both Sides Are Wrong in the Race Debate (2008).

Malik's work contains a forthright defence of the values of the 18th-century Enlightenment, which he sees as having been distorted and misunderstood in more recent political and scientific thought. He was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2010

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters two and three really helped my understanding of the 18th and 19th century. Malik has a great writing style and makes the history of the discourse of race actually tolerable!

[Daniel Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six stars. This is the best, clearest, most important book I've read in 5 years.