The Relevance of Royce

Nine Racism, Race, and Josiah Royce

Royce’s 1908 essay, “Race Questions and Prejudices” has been the subject of various interpretations and some controversy. This piece addresses some of the criticisms, focusing on the following questions: (1) Is he really attacking the scientific racism in his time? (2) Is his discussion of Japan in his article a reflection of racial views in his time? (3) Does his use of the case studies of Jamaica and Trinidad in his “Race Questions” and his relationship to Sir Sydney Olivier demonstrate that he is a “white imperialist? (4) Does his discussion of “assimilation” in the “Race Questions” essay and other works indicate that he is a white supremacist? and (5) what is his understanding of the phrase “antipathies?” I also offer some reflections on the complexities of dealing philosophically with “race questions.”