Racism has been an important factor in IR since the founding of the field. Given that racism is an important aspect of imperialism, and imperialism was a main focus of early IR theory, racism, it may be said, is foundational to IR. In fact, Paul Reinsch who is considered “one the founding figures of the field of [IR]” focused on national imperialism, while asserting the inferiority of the “Negro race” (Henderson 2013: 3). In this essay, I will discuss how racism has informed IR theory. First, I’ll discuss racism. Second, I’ll discuss how racism informs IR theory. Third, and finally, I’ll conclude with a summary of the main points of the essay. Racism is the belief in, and practice, and policy of domination based on the specious concept of race
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Known as the white mans burden, superior states took this as an opportunity to exploit inferior states for their benefit. According to the white people, economic domination which was prosperous only to the superior states, justified “enslavement, imperial conquest, colonization and genocide” (Henderson 2013: 2). In Henderson (2013), Du Bois seems to argue that such imperial acquisitions reinforced the “pursuit of racist and economic domination of African and Asian nations” (p 3). Therefore, imperial conquests were grounded in racism as white countries took advantage of what they deemed as inferior. This rationality or rather irrationality was later applied to IR theory. Henderson argues that the relationship between racism and IR theory is evident in the study of anarchy. Conceptions of anarchy in IR borrow heavily from social contract theorists such as Hobbes, Locke Rousseau, and Kant. Borrowing from Mills, Henderson argues that social contract theorists often conceptualize the state of nature in racist terms. Further, social contact theorists heavily influence realist,
Known as the white mans burden, superior states took this as an opportunity to exploit inferior states for their benefit. According to the white people, economic domination which was prosperous only to the superior states, justified “enslavement, imperial conquest, colonization and genocide” (Henderson 2013: 2). In Henderson (2013), Du Bois seems to argue that such imperial acquisitions reinforced the “pursuit of racist and economic domination of African and Asian nations” (p 3). Therefore, imperial conquests were grounded in racism as white countries took advantage of what they deemed as inferior. This rationality or rather irrationality was later applied to IR theory. Henderson argues that the relationship between racism and IR theory is evident in the study of anarchy. Conceptions of anarchy in IR borrow heavily from social contract theorists such as Hobbes, Locke Rousseau, and Kant. Borrowing from Mills, Henderson argues that social contract theorists often conceptualize the state of nature in racist terms. Further, social contact theorists heavily influence realist,