Theo Todman's Web Page - Paper Abstracts

Write-up₁ (as at 14/07/2026 03:50:24): Race

Plug Note²

• Thesis Text:
  1. The topic of Race has a rather tenuous connection to my Thesis as a sub-topic of Narrative Identity³.
  2. However, given how important racial identity is to some people (maybe to all, but tacitly so for the dominant race in a society⁴), I ought at least to touch on the subject.
  3. For some people, their race affiliation is key to who they see themselves to be and where they belong. For racists, race is definitive of a person’s status and value.
  4. There seems to be some disagreement about whether “races” actually exist. See Aeon – Hochman – Is ‘race’ modern?⁵.
  5. Certainly, genetic differences – while obvious – are both overplayed (by racists) and underplayed (by their opponents). Racial ‘problems’ are now largely social, especially in the USA.
  6. I have little sympathy for the ‘reparations industry’. "Lambrecht (Felix) - Reparative Justice for Historical Injustice", which is supportive, may set out some of the issues for the topic of PID.
  7. As this is such a sensitive subject, I don’t intend to say any more for now.

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  Further Remarks:
  1. The subject of Race is such a hot topic at the moment, that I really ought to study something about it so I can talk sensibly and critique what others say, rather than relying on my intuitions⁶ (otherwise known as “prejudices” – a term to be avoided in this context).
  2. Of late, Race has been overtaken by one aspect – the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Clearly, this is important, but it does seem to suggest that race and racism only apply to “Blacks”, and that the major issue historically was slavery. However, until the 17th and 18th centuries slavery had little to do with “colour” as slaves had been taken from conquered peoples of any ethnicity during Classical times and captured by raiding or trade – especially Slavs, though also Africans – by Muslims.
  3. There’s a useful little BBC page on ancient & medieval philosophers’ misguided views on slavery: "BBC - Philosophers justifying slavery".
  4. There has been much criticism in the UK (and elsewhere, such as India) of “the British” (whoever they were) and their Empire. I’m sure there’s a lot to answer for, though maybe less so when judged by the standards, exigencies and knowledge of the time(s), but it’s worth absorbing some of the detail from a variety of political standpoints. My position is that – whatever criticisms can be levelled at “empire” – the historical choice wasn’t between empire and no empire, but between one empire and another. It is doubtful whether the British empire was worse than the alternatives at the time, or the historical precedents.
  5. So, I’ve divided the reading lists between “Race” and “Empire”. The default where there’s a cross-over is the former category.