Janus‐faced race: Is race biological, social, or mythical?

Abstract

As belief in the reality of race as a biological category among U.S. anthropologists has fallen, belief in the reality of race as a social category has risen in its place. The view that race simply does not exist-that it is a myth-is treated with suspicion. While racial classification is linked to many of the worst evils of recent history, it is now widely believed to be necessary to fight back against racism. In this paper, I argue that race is indeed a biological fiction, but I critique the claim that race is socially real. I defend a form of anti-realist reconstructionism about race, which says that there are no races, only racialized groups-groups mistakenly believed to be races. I argue that this is the most attractive position about race from a metaphysical perspective, and that it is also the position most conductive to public understanding and social justice.

Further Defense of the Racialization Concept

“…Indeed, I have been a vocal critic of the race/racism evasion. For instance, I've argued elsewhere against the use of "race" as a euphemism for "racism" (Hochman 2020). There is no "race-based violence," in my view, only racist violence.…”

“…Philosophers tend to think of race as a social kind, which can be understood using an analogy to kinds in the physical sciences (like gold). I have argued elsewhere that race does not qualify as a social kind (Hochman 2019c(Hochman , 2020. That is not at all to say that racialization is socially unimportant-it is clearly of tremendous social importance.…”

“…This interpretation came as a surprise to me, given that-drawing on my training in the philosophy of biology-I have published extensively on the failings of race as a biological category and the fallacies of racist logics (Hochman 2013a(Hochman , c, 2014(Hochman , 2016(Hochman , 2019b(Hochman , 2020. Notice that Uyan writes that my "conceptualization understands group formation process" as natural, rather than that I myself conceptualize racialization as natural.…”

Racism and mental health and the role of mental health professionals

“…Our understanding of how racism and racial discrimination function at an institutional level (i.e., in our structures, institutions, policies, and practices) is related to individual and population health, health outcomes of a group of individuals, including distribution within the subgroup [59]. Institutions are organisations made up of individuals and traditions [8].…”

“…It does not require the actions or intent of individuals [58]. It is present both in institutions, social structures and tacit modes of perception and social interaction could be brought out more clearly, this is important in clarifying that racism can persist even when individuals are not overtly or intentionally racist [59]. Even if interpersonal discrimination is completely eliminated, racial inequalities would likely remain unchanged due to the persistence of structural racism, to which many other forms of racism belong, including the prison industrial complex, historical trauma, emotional rules, and media portrayals [63].…”