Human Difference

Abstract

Chapter 5 explains how debates about human origins and distinctiveness inform ideas about Europe. Late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century geography books often argue that the natural environment shapes human characteristics, and that Europeans are distinctive because they have been exposed to certain conditions. However, the books also propose that Europeans possess intrinsic, unchanging qualities. This tension highlights the complexities of contemporary racial thought, which combines ideas about inherent nature, inheritance, environmental influence, and aesthetics. Some geographical texts argue for a single European race, but others identify a range of European races, often premised on categorization of languages.