Races of Mankind by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The work explores the classification of human races, referencing various scholars' perspectives on racial categorization. It contrasts Blumenbach's five races with Kant's three, presenting a hierarchy of races based on perceived dignity. The Caucasian or European race is placed at the top, followed by the Malay and American races, with the Negro and Mongolian races positioned lower. The text delves into the origins of language, proposing a singular Iapetic root from which several European languages, including Greek and Latin, evolved. This Iapetic race is divided into two migratory branches: one moving southwest, leading to the Greeks and Italians, and the other northwest, resulting in the Goths and Germans. The discussion also touches on the Hebrew language, asserting that its strength and purity peak in the works of Isaiah, while it deteriorates in later texts like Daniel and Ecclesiastes. The author expresses skepticism about the authorship of Ecclesiastes, suggesting it may have been misattributed to Solomon due to a cultural tendency to link significant works to prominent figures. Overall, the work presents a systematic examination of racial and linguistic classifications, reflecting the intellectual currents of its time regarding human diversity and cultural heritage.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1939 · Genre: Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology · 290 words

First lines

Blumenbach makes five races; Kant, three. Blumenbach's scale of dignity may / be thus figured: --

/ 1. Caucasian or European.

/ 2. Malay = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 2. American

/ 3. Negro = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 3. Mongolian, Asiatic

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Races of Mankind is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1939 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Essay
• Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• Date: 1939 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology, History, Literary Criticism
• Length: 290 words
• Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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• Work identity for Races of Mankind by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Genres

• Anthropology — The book discusses the classification of human races and their characteristics, aligning closely with anthropological studies.
• Philosophy — It engages with philosophical ideas about race, language, and human dignity, reflecting on the nature of humanity.
• Sociology — The exploration of racial categories and their implications for society fits within sociological discourse.
• History — The text references historical perspectives on race and language, contributing to historical understanding.

Tags

Races · Humanity · Anthropology · Cultural Studies · Ethnicity · Blumenbach · Kant · Caucasian · Malay · American · Negro · Mongolian

More by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Expostulation and Reply (1817)
• The Tables Turned (1798)
• Animal Tranquillity and Decay (1816)
• Goody Blake and Harry Gill (1798)
• The Last of the Flock (1815)
• Lines Left Upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree, which Stands Near the Lake of Estwaithe, on a Desolate Part of the Shore, Yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect (1818)
• The Foster-Mother's Tale (1815)
• The Thorn (1798)
• All works by Samuel Taylor Coleridge