The Perils of Race-Thinking : A Portrait of Aleš Hrdlička

Eugenics and scientific racism are experiencing a resurgence, and only by understanding the work of Aleš Hrdlička and others will we be able to combat them. In our age of rapid advances of genetic studies within historical research the racial science of the early twentieth century is treated with contempt. This book is about an arch figure of that period: Aleš Hrdlička served as Curator of Physical Anthropology at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution from 1910 to 1941. Although his output is today considered pseudoscience, he adhered to the standards of his profession of his age. During World War I, Hrdlička collaborated with propagandists to convince the American public to support the Czechoslovak cause. In 1938, he pleaded publicly against the German annexation of the Sudeten region. Although a prolific author, he refused to change his difficult name, which signaled his ardent commitment to Czech identity. In his view, Germans and Czechs were locked in a millennial struggle that was racial, and the Slavs were a eugenic bastion against the “rising tide of color.” On the global stage, Hrdlička publicized Soviet Union as the citadel of Slavic whiteness. By placing Czech nationalism at the center of the Czech-American scholar’s mental map, this book contributes to the research on the development of Western racial thinking. "Eugenics and scientific racism are experiencing a resurgence, and an understanding of the ideas of Aleš Hrdlička can help combat them. Today, the racial science of the early twentieth century is both untenable and contemptible. This book is about an arch figure of that period: Aleš Hrdlička served as Curator of Physical Anthropology at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution from 1910 to 1941. Although his ideas about race are today considered pseudoscience, the uncomfortable truth is that he was an internationally respected scientist in his own day.The Perils of Race-Thinking advances a bold new interpretation of modern racial ideology by exploring Hrdlička's intellectual world. Using previously untapped Czech-language sources, Brandon irrevocably alters the discussion about this important figure by placing Czech nationalism at the center of his racial thinking. Defying disciplinary categories, Perils of Race-Thinking joins critical analysis of this key American anthropologist with an incisive revisionist perspective of interwar Czechoslovakia to unearth transnational racial presumptions lurking behind the worst crimes of the twentieth century. At the center of Hrdlička's race beliefs was his commitment to Czech and Slovak unity and independence. From this center, his next level of concern was what he believed to be a millennial racial struggle between Germans and Slavs. On a global scale, he viewed the Slavs, and especially the Soviet Union, as a eugenic bastion of White strength holding off the "rising tide of color."Step by step, Perils of Race-Thinking mercilessly dismantles Hrdlička's racial system and exposes it as mysticism dressed up in the language of science. Convinced that human individuals belonged "naturally" in racial groups, Hrdlička embraced a revolutionary program of reordering the globe according to a harrowing morality of "Darwinist" struggle. Yet despite a lifetime of measuring body parts, even Hrdlička could not decide how many races there were or how to tell them apart"-- Provided by publisher "Eugenics and scientific racism are experiencing a resurgence, and an understanding of the ideas of Aleés Hrdliécka can help combat them. Today, the racial science of the early twentieth century is both untenable and contemptible. This book is about an arch figure of that period: Aleés Hrdliécka served as Curator of Physical Anthropology at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution from 1910 to 1941. Although his ideas about race are today considered pseudoscience, the uncomfortable truth is that he was an internationally respected scientist in his own day.The Perils of Race-Thinking advances a bold new interpretation of modern racial ideology by exploring Hrdliécka's intellectual world. Using previously untapped Czech-language sources, Brandon irrevocably alters the discussion about this important figure by placing Czech nationalism at the center of his racial thinking.Defying disciplinary categories, Perils of Race-Thinking joins critical analysis of this key American anthropologist with an incisive revisionist perspective of interwar Czechoslovakia to unearth transnational racial presumptions lurking behind the worst crimes of the twentieth century. At the center of Hrdliécka's race beliefs was his commitment to Czech and Slovak unity and independence. From this center, his next level of concern was what he believed to be a millennial racial struggle between Germans and Slavs. On a global scale, he viewed the Slavs, and especially the Soviet Union, as a eugenic bastion of White strength holding off the "rising tide of color."Step by step, Perils of Race-Thinking mercilessly dismantles Hrdliécka's racial system and exposes it as mysticism dressed up in the language ofscience. Convinced that human individuals belonged "naturally" in racial groups, Hrdliécka embraced a revolutionary program of reordering the globe according to a harrowing morality of "Darwinist" struggle. Yet despite a lifetime of measuring body parts, even Hrdliécka could not decide how many races there were or how to tell them apart"-- Provided by publisher

Eugenics and scientific racism are experiencing a resurgence,and an understanding of the ideas of Aleš Hrdlička can help combatthem. Today, the racial science of the early twentieth century isboth untenable and contemptible. This book is about an arch figureof that period: Aleš Hrdlička served as Curator of PhysicalAnthropology at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution from 1910to 1941. Although his ideas about race are today consideredpseudoscience, the uncomfortable truth is that he was aninternationally respected scientist in his own day.

The Perils of Race-Thinking advances a bold newinterpretation of modern racial ideology by exploring Hrdlička'sintellectual world. Using previously untapped Czech-languagesources, Brandon irrevocably alters the discussion about thisimportant figure by placing Czech nationalism at the center of hisracial thinking. Defying disciplinary categories, Perils ofRace-Thinking joins critical analysis of this key Americananthropologist with an incisive revisionist perspective of interwarCzechoslovakia to unearth transnational racial presumptions lurkingbehind the worst crimes of the twentieth century.

At the center of Hrdlička's race beliefs was his commitment toCzech and Slovak unity and independence. From this center, his nextlevel of concern was what he believed to be a millennial racialstruggle between Germans and Slavs. On a global scale, he viewedthe Slavs, and especially the Soviet Union, as a eugenic bastion ofWhite strength holding off the "rising tide of color."

Step by step, Perils of Race-Thinking mercilesslydismantles Hrdlička's racial system and exposes it as mysticismdressed up in the language of science. Convinced that humanindividuals belonged "naturally" in racial groups, Hrdličkaembraced a revolutionary program of reordering the globe accordingto a harrowing morality of "Darwinist" struggle. Yet despite alifetime of measuring body parts, even Hrdlička could not decidehow many races there were or how to tell them apart.

Eugenics and scientific racism are experiencing a resurgence, and an understanding of the ideas of Aleš Hrdlička can help combat them. Today, the racial science of the early twentieth century is both untenable and contemptible. This book is about an arch figure of that period: Aleš Hrdlička served as Curator of Physical Anthropology at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution from 1910 to 1941. Although his ideas about race are today considered pseudoscience, the uncomfortable truth is that he was an internationally respected scientist in his own day. The Perils of Race-Thinking advances a bold new interpretation of modern racial ideology by exploring Hrdlička's intellectual world. Using previously untapped Czech-language sources, Brandon irrevocably alters the discussion about this important figure by placing Czech nationalism at the center of his racial thinking. Defying disciplinary categories, Perils of Race-Thinking joins critical analysis of this key American anthropologist with an incisive revisionist perspective of interwar Czechoslovakia to unearth transnational racial presumptions lurking behind the worst crimes of the twentieth century. At the center of Hrdlička's race beliefs was his commitment to Czech and Slovak unity and independence. From this center, his next level of concern was what he believed to be a millennial racial struggle between Germans and Slavs. On a global scale, he viewed the Slavs, and especially the Soviet Union, as a eugenic bastion of White strength holding off the "rising tide of color." Step by step, Perils of Race-Thinking mercilessly dismantles Hrdlička's racial system and exposes it as mysticism dressed up in the language of science. Convinced that human individuals belonged "naturally" in racial groups, Hrdlička embraced a revolutionary program of reordering the globe according to a harrowing morality of "Darwinist" struggle. Yet despite a lifetime of measuring body parts, even Hrdlička could not decide how many races there were or how to tell them apart. TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 Introduction 7 Chapter I What are the Czechoslovaks Racially? 15 Chapter II “Public Opinion is a Powerful Weapon” 39 Chapter III The Secret History of the Hrdlička Museum of Man 67 Chapter IV The Last Great Reserve of the White Race 91 Chapter V Race Divination 113 Chapter VI How the Czechs Became White 139 Chapter VII Eugenics 163 Chapter VIII The Faith of Aleš Hrdlička 183 Conclusion 205 Bibliography 211 Index 225