Bloodlines and Racism

Bloodlines and Racism.

Discuss Spriro, Defending the Master Race

The book Defending the Master Race by Madison Grant viewed history through an entirely racial lens. Rather than conceptualizing history as a series of clashes between different civilizations or class struggles, Grant characterized history as a series of divisive exchanges between persons of different 'racial' status. What is so interesting from a modern perspective is that many of the 'races' perceived by the author, such as the Macedonian race or the Gothic race, do not exist within our current conception of what defines 'race.' This highlights how, rather than being a static construction that exists outside history, race is a culturally-constructed notion.

Grant even speaks of the 'American race,' which he sees as fundamentally Nordic. This notion is particularly odd, given that America is such a diverse country. America is a nation of immigrants, with the exception of the indigenous tribes that existed before European settlers arrived. Grant sees Nordic people as "innately" individualistic and self-reliant, thus their attraction to Protestantism.[footnoteRef:1] Interestingly, Grant does not perceive these qualities to spring from Protestantism -- religion is not a cultural movement, rather it is generated 'in the blood.' Immigration is seen as innately dangerous and 'taints' the American character.

Q2. What was the Lebensborn program? How have racial politics evolved in Germany since WWII? [1: Jonathan Peter Spiro, Defending the master race, (University of Vermont Press), 2008: 149]

The Lebensborn program was created by the leaders of Nazi Germany to de-stigmatize abortion, in the interest of encouraging young, unmarried 'Aryan' women to give birth rather than have abortions. Because of the economically trying postwar circumstances, many young women got abortions during the inter-war years. Nearly 60% of all Lebensborn children were born to unmarried mothers.[footnoteRef:2] The women were supported by the state so they would be encouraged to bring their children to term. [2: David Crossland, "Lebensborn children break silence," Der Spiegel, 7 Nov 2006]

In other areas, the Lebensborn program in Germany, Austria, and Norway encouraged German SS to have sex with local women to produce children with 'Viking' bloodlines. Today, the former children of the program are stigmatized and many have hidden their pasts. Some did not even know of their origin until recently, since their mothers deliberately tried to conceal their history.

Q3. According to Jackson/Weidman, in what way did Darwin's writings contribute (or not) to scientific racism?

Social Darwinism must be distinguished from Darwinian evolutionary theory, which is not inherently racist. Social Darwinism classified the human species into 'races,' which were viewed as 'species-like' constructions, rather than the cultural constructions we see them as today. Natural selection, according to some interpreters of Darwin, would cause inferior and less advanced races to overtake more advanced civilizations.