Color Terminology For Race
In some societies and among some anthropologists, color terminology (or colour terminology) was used to label races, sometimes in addition to a non-color term for the same race. Identifying races in terms of their skin color has been common since at least the Physiognomica falsely attributed to Aristotle.
Other scientists were more cautious about such categorization, and Charles Darwin argued that the number of categories, or in this case the number of different colors, is completely arbitrary and subjective. For example, some claimed three distinct colors, some four, and others have claimed even more. In contrast, Darwin argued that there are gradations, or degrees between the numbers of categories claimed, and not distinct categories, or colors.
Read more about Color Terminology For Race: Western Classifications, Symbolism and Uses of Color Terminology, Flag of The Races
Famous quotes containing the words color and/or race:
“To face the garment of rebellion
With some fine color that may please the eye
Of fickle changelings and poor discontents.
Which gape and rub the elbow at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about bombs or the intelligence quotients of one race as against another ... if a man is a scientist, like me, he’ll always say “Publish and be damned.””
—Jacob Bronowski (1908–1974)