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What does the Enlightenment have to do with racism?

Anja Kimmig

The Enlightenment saw the birth of ideas like freedom, equality and human rights. But how did its thinkers come to terms with the highly profitable exploitation of non-European peoples? And what impact do racial theories from that period still have?

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The concept of racism has changed over time. Historian Christian Geulen explains that the term “race” is rarely still used today. Racist hierarchies dating back to around 1800 were used to justify slavery and colonialism. But racism persisted even after the Enlightenment, often as an ideology of superiority. Today, racism manifests in more subtle ways, often for instance through cultural boundaries. Geulen emphasizes that we must remain vigilant when it comes to recognizing new forms of racism.