The inequality of human races

by Arthur Gobineau

"The inequality of human races" by comte de Arthur Gobineau is a racialist work published between 1853 and 1855. This French diplomat's essay argues that race determines world events, dividing humanity into three groups—white, yellow, and black—while claiming white races, particularly Nordic and Germanic peoples, represent humanity's pinnacle. Gobineau contends that civilizations decline through racial mixing, creating an influential early example of scientific racism that shaped racial theories across continents, though his ideas were often misunderstood and distorted by later movements.