The Dark Side of Reason

Aristaia Levac

251041991
 A series of events leading up to how racism started and how it developed as the “dark

side of Reason”. The impacts of these events created different steps in the process of how the

dark side of reason formed and how it became tied to race. Racism is socially constructed and

was formed through different stages, the first being a divide in people that we call race.

Sociological history shows evidence of how “race” is socially constructed through the

enlightenment, colonialism, and white supremacy which created racism and was justified

through the “dark side of reason”.

The enlightenment was a period of new intellectual development that showed a new

attitude/method of thought that originated in Europe by an elite group, Les Philosophes (Edles,

5). It had an emphasis on reason and science which contradicted the bible and went against the

normal views of the catholic church (Edles, 5). An idea included was that society could be the

subject of scientific examination (Edles, 6). The enlightenment/Les Philosophes created an

understanding of where human reason could expand (Edles, 6). DuBois discussed that people

assumed God wanted everyone to live the white ways of life and felt pity for people of colour

(DuBois, 30). This was a commonly believed thought which shows how the enlightenment gave

the ability for society to give reason to negative things like racism. Humans are visual species

implying that skin colour created separation and created the idea that there was race during

the enlightenment period (Adam Rutherford, article). The age where the new way of thinking

was reason and science, there was still racism, inequality of power, and fear of the unknown

which encourage reasoning for inequality (DuBois, 30). From this, I think the enlightenment

influenced others in power to adopt their ways of thinking and this caused the spread of

colonialism.
 Colonialism pushed European beliefs onto minority groups to demolish other ways of

life (Césaire, 2). The purpose was to create a divided of people and allow for the Europeans to

have power over the oppressed group (Césaire, 2). This push for power came from the ideas of

the enlightenment and provided a mindset to develop a reason for inequality (Césaire, 3). I

think that this is where the stem of the dark side of reason began to grow. Colonialism spread

the enlightenment further thus creating the ability for more reason against inequality. African

American people were looked at as animals and lacking qualities that white people had (Firmin,

142). From this horrific view, it gave an explanation as to why slavery was justifiable (Firmin,

140). An implication can be drawn that the enlightenment spread colonialism and provided the

process in which people of African American descent were looked at as less than the white

race. This then made slavery more of an accepted and gave “reason” behind it. Colonization

was all about power and money in society and through reason and science a justification was

applied to make white supremacy look as if it was supposed to be that way (Césaire, 2). I can

interpret that the dark side of reason is the justification of something that is unequal or

negative to a certain thing and people in society. White supremacists support their values of

racism by attempting to use DNA and science to explain their actions through the dark side of

reason (Adam Rutherford, article).

Science was heavily used by white supremacists to prove how white people’s DNA made

them more superior to all other races (Firmin, 140). White men looked at themselves as more

superior to other creatures and so it gave enough reason to appropriate them and use them as

one’s own for growth of development (Firmin, 142). Slaves were looked at as another species as

justification for treating them as animals (Firmin, 144). Experiments were performed for races
to show race on a descending scale with Caucasians at the top and Ethiopians at the bottom

(Firmin, 146). These scientific experiments were shown as a reason to have a racial hierarchy in

everyday society and tried to explain how this hierarchy is natural (Firmin, 146). Things like skull

measurement and brain mass were used to try and prove that white men's brains were heavier

and therefore more intelligent and have more knowledge than other races (Firmin, 148). This is

just one scientific example of how enlightenment allowed for a reason to build against race to

allow for whites to have power and control over others. The ideas behind using science to

explain racial inequality as a justified concept relates directly to the enlightenment because it

used science and reason to explain it. These explanations are how race became a social

construct that turned into inequality between races. The forming of racism was easily explained

by the white supremacists through the dark side of reason. Science and DNA were used to

reason and rationalize racism even though it technically is not accurate. This is how I think the

dark side of reason was developed from racism because of the explanations needed to make

the white supremacists feel their actions were justifiable in inequality.

The events leading up to how racism has developed as the dark side of reason all have

impacted inequality. The enlightenment originally spread the idea of reason and how science

can support that. The ideas of the enlightenment helped cause colonization to concur and also

spread the ideas of the enlightenment further. From the ideas/values of the enlightenment and

colonialism, it helped create the socially constructed idea of race. From then on, races were

considered separate and if you were not white you were considered less than. The explanation

of the differences between races used science and DNA to add reason and justification to

inequality. Overall, the dark side of reason explained racial differences to allow racism to be
justified. Racism is considered the dark side of reason because it is a negative thing in our

society that has been explained through science.

 References

Rutherford, A. (2020, January 26). How to fight racism using science. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/26/fight-racism-using-science-race-genetics-
bigotry-african-americans-sport-linnaeus

Edles, Lara & Appelrouth, Scott. 2015. “Introduction.” Sociological Theory in the Classical
Era (pp.1-13). Sage Publications.
The Structures of Social Inequality of Race and Gender

Aristaia Levac

251041991
 It is a well-known fact that in today’s society, race and gender inequality are extremely

relevant. It is something that stems from our history and so that has left everlasting effects on

today's society. When colonialism broke its way through society, it caused the image of the

white man to be the most powerful, and continuously stays in like that. Race and gender have

both been impacted through similar developments to create the structures of inequality that

are still prevalent today. The structures of social inequality were similarly formed for race along

with gender, and are continuously produced through colonialism, embedded social constructs

and the class cycle.

The Europeans conquered and pushed their culture, religion, along with views of life

onto minorities and caused widespread oppression (Césaire, 2). The colonizers used Christianity

to dispose of other religions by imposing their beliefs upon arrival (Césaire, 2). Colonizing was

purely about power and money over others while keeping the cycle of the powerful in power

(Césaire, 2). Enforcing colonizer's way of life onto the oppressed group is what planted roots in

a society that started structures of inequality. Minority races (African American) and gender

(females) were both looked at as less than white men because of the inequality rooted in

colonization and patriarchy. Colonization spread slavery and the negative image of how slaves

not considered people. (Firmin, 143). From this image placed on African American slaves, it

showed how they could be owned by other people thus meaning a commodified object (Firmin,

143). I believe the repercussions of this view impact their place in society today because they

are constantly being pushed down from the white men fighting to stay in power. From looking

at historical facts, European women were always looked at as property of their husbands where

the men had full control over the women (Weber, 215). This shows how the European ways of
life were pressed upon minority groups where patriarchy was encouraged throughout

colonialism. Primitive patriarchy was unquestioned in European society and started a structure

of inequality with women wherever they colonized. Religion supported this by the belief that

God made women for the sole purpose of procreation proving that the Christian religion and

the men believing in it commodified women in this way (Weber, 217). Colonization developed

the structures of inequality for race and gender by creating an embedded social construct.

The inequality between genders and races is continually practiced in our society since

our society has made race and gender a social construct. Race and gender are both something

that has been a portrayed image placed on minorities and have negative conceptions attached

to them. The white male in society has the best socioeconomic status and is privileged over

others due to the roots placed on the development of race and gender. De Beauvoir suggests

that genders are socialized at every stage of development to fit a certain norm to their gender

(De Beauvoir, 200). The repetition of the same type of socialization proves to me how much our

society has taken from colonization and portrays it in everyday life. Men are socialized into

being powerful and women are socialized to embody being less than men. (De Beauvoir, 200).

This continuation will allow women to continuously be inferior to men. I think that this

socialization is what maintains the social construct of gender inequality. The same with race.

Society's views on different races are built from what parents and families teach (Cooper, 152).

Cooper suggests that there is no race problem because the dominant race has permanently

taken control (Cooper, 154). Racism is so embedded in our society that I believe will never be

fully equal. Tying race and gender together it is clear that the maintenance of the inequality and
oppression are being continued through emancipation from paternalism (Debois, 205). Both

racial minorities and women will continuously be looked at as less than men (Debois, 205).

White men continuously keep themselves superior to race and gender (Debois, 205). It’s

a continuous cycle that these men are consistently keeping the divide between them and

everyone else (Debois, 205). The divide caused by colonialism can be compared to Marx’s

theory meaning the bourgeoisie and the west are comparable and the proletariat to the

colonies (Césaire, 2). This shows a connection between capitalism and colonialism and displays

a class divide in the system relating to socioeconomic status and power. The divide this created,

I think can be directly related to hermeneutical injustice. People with the power to society can

heavily influence what social meanings are known and thus impacting social facts (Fricker, 147).

The powerful can, therefore, control what is known to race and gender and this will keep the

cycle of the powerful staying in power. The opening line of Fricker’s piece implies that the

powerful directly impact how society and women understand their own experiences and what

knowledge they have behind it (Fricker, 147). Hermeneutical injustice restricts any lower class,

including race and gender, from understanding or even knowing what they are experiencing

(Fricker, 149). White men used to be the only people allowed to be educated and so this alone

is keeping a barrier from women and anyone of ethnic descent to gain knowledge about what

they are experiencing or even to have the same amount of knowledge as white men. This divide

in knowledge allows for an advantage to maintain a cycle of white men staying superior to

women and racial minorities. Inferior groups are made to seem like they have a chance of

becoming more equal to men, but society has proven over and over again that the white man

controls society (Césaire, 3). The power of hermeneutical injustice keeps women and racial
minorities in oppression in the same system. I believe that females and ethnic minorities are

considered less than and are restricted to a place in society from a repeating cycle that is kept

in place by hermeneutical injustice.

Race and gender both were suppressed and looked at as less than white men

throughout history and today. This inequality is since the development of colonialism pushed

European views onto society causing females and racial minorities to be inferior compared to

white men. From the impact of colonialism, it created an embedded social construction that

affects the continuation and maintenance of the lasting effects. Hermeneutical injustice keeps

the cycle of the powerful in power and everyone else nude their influence. Overall, race and

gender became unequal to society because of the spread of colonialism that started social

constructs, the maintenance of those social constructs in today's society, and lastly because of

power cycles.