Throughout Western civilization’s acquaintance with the African people, there have been unfounded beliefs about the intellectual superiority of Whites over Blacks. In particular,
“the Western discourse had come form of such notorious proclamations and claims as ‘reason is Greek’, ’emotion is African’” (Adie & Effenji, 2018, p. 95). Such famous Western philosophers as Kant and Hume made a special contribution to the spread of this misconception. They believed that Africans were irrational in nature and that skin color determined fundamental differences in character (Nwosimiri, 2017). The belief that Africans are emotionally driven and lack rational thinking influences modern racial relations as well.
Such a view can greatly impede the effective assertion of rights and needs by modern Africans. In particular, this is the case for African Americans, who now widely reveal pervasive racism in society and are trying to resist it. However, due to the belief in the emotionality of Africans, members of other racial groups may perceive their statements as exaggerated without giving them enough importance. Allegations of racist incidents can be interpreted as oversensitive, which negatively affects the fight against this phenomenon. At the same time, emotionality can be equated with impulsiveness, which also forms a false perception of Africans in other racial groups. They can be viewed as dangerous to society and following their own desires exclusively, ignoring social norms.
Thus, this belief in modern society contributes to maintaining prejudice against Africans. In particular, members of other racial groups may ignore their concerns and demands as irrational. This situation greatly impedes the eradication of racism in both the United States and the world. Although the roots of this view have a long history, a revision of such biases is necessary for modern society. Otherwise, the cultivation of hostility and misperceptions among Africans may continue.
References
Adie, O. T., & Effenji, J. S. (2018). The issue of rationality in the history of African philosophy. An Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Theory and Praxis, 1(1), 95-106. Web.
Nwosimiri, O. (2017). Do the works of the nationalist– Ideological philosophers undermine Hume’s and Kant’s ideas about race? Sage Open, 7(1), 1-11. Web.