Race+as+the+Trope+of+the+World


 * =Title= || "Race" as the Trope of the World ||
 * =Author= || Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ||
 * =Date= || 1986 ||
 * =Summary By= || Efe and Eddy ||
 * =Summary= || Efe

Gates is looking at the concept of race and how race is defined differently before introducing the role of 'writing' in racial identity.

His main conclusion is race is defined by people and is not related to any other concepts: "The sense of difference defined in popular usages of the term 'race' has both described and //inscribed// differences of language, belief system, artistic tradition, and gene poll" (p.532). In other words, race is a cause rather than an effect. Race, as used in the language, "signifies the difference between cultures and their possesion of power, spelling out the distance between subordinate and superordinate p.534)"

Gates also gives several examples (anecdotes) such as Pope visiting Tongo, and an African girl writing poem in Boston in 18th century to exemplify how 'black' people were seen differently. Moreover, he uses the works of Hume and Kant to argue that black people were seen as inferior.

Writing was an emancipatory tool because Enlightenment ideals argue that writing demonstrates reason. Therefore, if a black person can write, he or she is at the same intellectual caliber with the white person. However black writings ended up reproducing the Western discourse on race (with black people being 'the lowest of the human races or as first cousin to the ape' (p.538)).

Eddy:

Henry Lewis Gates' discussion of race focuses on the connections between literacy and racism in the modern era. He is particularly interested in how European's view of African's as incapable of literacy served as a justification for slavery.

A trope is defined as a word that is used in a non-literal sense. In Gates' view, "race is the ultimate trope of the world because it is so arbitrary." In other words, "race" is a purely a human invention.

Literacy supplies the link between the racial alienation of people African descent with their economic alienation. In the 18th century It was a commonly held view that African's were incapable of literacy, which is a manifestation of Cartesian rationality. Because in the enlightenment rationality was the principal measure of humanity -- what separated people from the animals -- African people were commonly though of as either lesser humans or higher forms apes. When in 1772 a young slave girl named Alice Wheatley produced a book of poetry, she was required to undergo a rigorous oral examination in Boston to prove that she had actually written the poetry. Even though some slaves were able to produce poetry, this was often viewed as a commodity -- a form of curiosity -- rather than actual artistic expression. David Hume expresses a view commonly held at the time that literate black people could be likened to "a parrot who speaks a few words plainly."

Literacy was so intertwined with slavery, that South Carolina passed a law in 1740 that forbade teaching slaves to read. For me this denotes a certain inconsistancy in 18th century racial theory. If blacks were incapable of true literacy, then why do you need to pass a law forbidding people from teaching them to read and write? Perhaps this denotes that the whites who were most familiar with African-Americans --the slave holders -- were aware that their slaves were every bit as human as they were. However, in order to maintain the facade that blacks were less capable of human qualities such as reason, and thus could justifiably be kept as slaves, whites required blacks to be kept as ignorant as possible.

Hume is not the only famous philosopher to espouse a racist ideology. Kant speaks of a "black" and "stupid" as if they were synonyms. Hegel views Africans as a lesser people because they have "no history."

Some even went so far as to create myths justifying the enslavement of Africans by Europeans. Dutch explorer William Bosman concocted a wild tale in which God first offered Africans the choice of gold or "Knowledge of Letters." The Africans chose gold, leaving whites with literacy. To punish the Africans for their choice God made them slaves. It is almost as if Africans and not Europeans we guilty of destroying whole civilisations in a mad search for gold (i.e. the Incas and Aztechs)

(Bosman's myth reminds me of Dave Chappelle's "Race Draft")

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 * =Discussion points= || The question I have in mind is about the relationship between a researcher's identity and arguments. I am not sure whether Prof.Louis' conceptualizations of race and racial exclusion/oppression reflect the reality or are influenced (maybe aggravated?) by his identity (//This is why I decided to add the video below from the Daily Show)//. So, what is the role of our personalities in social science research?

The second point is the role of writing in reproducing racial roles. Within the context outlined by Gates, was it possible to alter the dominant Western discourse through a different style of writing? Or would such a 'strategized' writing be nonsensical?

Does the fact that Hume, Kant and Hegel -- among others -- espoused such abhorrent views diminish the value of the rest of their work in your eyes? || = = = = = = = = = = = =

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