Do you believe there is only one race, the human race?

Question

Aethereal · Accepted Answer

Yes of course! Scientifically, we are all humans sharing the same biology. The concept of race was fundamentally created to identify physical differences between humans in order to feed feelings of superiority e. g. civilized vs. barbarians, masters vs. slaves, etc. It was a useful tool in an uneducated time. The problem is that many people would not let go of this concept as we became more educated.

Do you believe there is only one race, the human race?

Human beings have a tendency to separate each other into groups for the sake of furthering personal interests. They often do this to find something to feel superior about. I recall as a child being separated into houses in school and how each house immediately became antagonistic to each other. An us vs. them mentality was created causing each group to view the other as somehow inferior. This need (nature?) to first compare ourselves with others and then categorize them is arguably one of mankind's greatest flaws (though there have been benefits).

So this clearly goes beyond racism to touch many other aspects of life. Consider school cliques, political divisions, wealth, nationality, intellect and skill, etc. We humans routinely try to categorize ourselves somewhere in order to create an us vs. them mentality. It is all so superficial, and we know it. What most of us convince ourselves of is that there is an exception somewhere, usually the one that suits us. This is when it gets really dangerous and tragic e. g. Nazi and Rwandan genocides.

Race is simply a much older concept than the divisions we've been creating for ourselves recently. But it is no more of a construct than the political, religious and various other divisions we seek to highlight in order to feel superior to the "other" group. If enough people wanted, we'd be able to create even more "races" than we already created now (perhaps based on hair or eye colour, shade of dark or light skin, etc.). We can just as easily eliminate such superficial categorization. But perhaps that requires a more enlightened era of humanity (or perhaps an alien invasion)

jimmy2 · Accepted Answer

Amen

lumos · Accepted Answer

No. There are different races and that's ok. We have different features. Our skin tones and colors look different. Our facial features look different. Our hair looks different. And that's ok. It's even a good thing.

Pretending to not "see" color or "see" race is like putting your head in the sand. It sounds like it could be a beautiful thought on a surface level, but you're privileged if you can pretend like these differences don't exist. Fact of the matter is that they do exist. And pretending that you don't "see race" when our society still is the way it is today, is kind of like saying that you don't see the issues those around you have to face because of their race. You don't see their struggles and what they have to go through, simply because of their race. You don't see that they get treated differently for looking different. That's not a beautiful thought anymore, that's ignorance.

The issues and differences won't go away just because you pretend like they don't exist, and like we're all the same when we're not. It's also hurtful to those who face these daily struggles, because it's like their experiences are getting invalidated and shoved under the rug. As if it's a shameful topic to discuss about.

These might not be things that people process in their minds when they say something like that, though. I'm sure a lot of people come from a decent place of wanting us to be equal, since we're all humans. But that doesn't change today's climate surrounding racism. You don't fix racism by pretending races don't exist. You can't fix something by not facing it.

cosmicenergy · Accepted Answer

Yes, race is just a social construct

OlderAndWiser · Answer

There are subspecies of humans who have genetically determined and distinct characteristics.

talover · Answer

There is only one race, the human race. We tend to confuse the definitions of words. We use the word race when we should use the word nationality. In fact, this race fallacy is further exposed when you consider today's genetic testing and how anyone can get Ancestry testing or 23 and Me testing. You'll soon realize that you may have more than one "race" (air quotes), then you thought. Why is that? Why is it that people can breed with other people that look different in skin color, culture, language, or nationality? Because we are the same race - human. Humans can't breed with any other creature. Only other humans. This isn't rocket science and it seems elementary for me to even mention but this is our base for further discussion.

Let's take for instance the name we give Americans who are black. We call them, African Americans. Why is that? If they were born in Africa and came to America, then yes that applies accordingly. But what if they were born in America and have never set foot in Africa? Aren't they simply American? I'll pose the question another way. Who is more African American? Charlize Theron, who was born in South Africa or Denzel Washington, who was born in New York? If you don't know who they are, look them up and you'll see what nationality is. In this case I laid, a white woman is more African than a black man. Color should have no bearing on your nationality. That's the point I'm making.

On the flip side of the argument, racism, also doesn't exist. It is a social construct. There is no such thing as racism. We confuse the term with Otherism, which simply means, us vs them. Tribalism is another term that better fits our society's "racial" (air quotes again) problems.

Allow me to illustrate for a moment. In the 80's and 90's there was a famous gang war in the streets of Los Angeles between the Blood's (red) and the Crip's (blue). The individuals that made up these gangs lived in the same cities, listened to the same music (rap), dressed the same, ate at the same restaurants and many lived in the same neighborhoods separated by streets. The gangs were made up of mostly dark skinned (black) members and these two gangs slaughtered each other for decades. Why? Was racism involved? They were all Americans. They all spoke the same language too. What was it that caused this war? Otherism. These gangs overlooked all their similarities and instead divided themselves on their differences, namely the color blue and the color red. Racism doesn't exists. Don't fall for this societal lie.

I like what Morgan Freeman, the famous actor, once said about this subject. When he was asked how we stop racism he replied,

"Stop talking about it. I"m going to stop calling you a white man and I"m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."

Thank you Mr. Freeman. Simply put and well said.

TangBang69 · Answer

It's one of the most primitive and arrogant as well as ignorant mindframes possible, especially in this age. To think that one man's right to or worthiness of life is greater than another man because of the color of his skin. That actually makes them less worthy and less American as the principle America was founded on was ALL men are created equal and hold equal rights as granted by his creator to pursue life , liberty, happiness , and prosperity.
Those fools should research before declaring themselves superior. They might be embarrassed to know that the Nazism had nothing to do with color, but the idea that the race of humans could be purified by selective genetics the same as how dog breeds were purified. FAIL.
The failure did however, provide insight to learning how to do it correctly. Its now called Transhumanism. I don't know which is more scary, technology progressing toward superhumanism. In fact it is this science from which AntiChrist will emerge.
Or is the idea scarier of self sustaining robots with decision making , calculative conclusion abilities and reflexes superior to men roaming the earth.
In either case both will agree with what one has already determined.
That humans are obsolete, inefficient, as well as a cancer to the planet. This in essence does place Mankind into one race for survival and dwarfs the concept of racism as we move down a notch or two on the food chain.

Pasiton5 · Answer

We are one race started out as one but our need to explore, to see what's over that mountain range or what's sheriff's that ocean drive us to the many parts of the world today, our difference in skin color is climate related, as our bodies absorbed less of the sun's rays our DNA rewrite the genetic code causing the change in our skin, since we were receiving less sun or DNA lighten our pigmentation of our skin allowing for well white skin, which also allows the lighter skin to absorb vitamin D from the sun more rapidly than dark skin, our environment is what caused these changes the longer we are in a certain environment or DNA rewrites itself for us to better adapt and survive there's, it's a very show process, but some how it evolution was speed up which brought about us or modern humans the dinosaur's lived evolved for hundreds of millions years yet or species has been around for a couple hundred thousand years and you get the idea we are off one race one people no one here is better than any one else why some think they are well it's ignorance in their thinking, dinosaur's dinosaur's hate those smelly scaly things be glad they don't exist today ugly as hell

PoliteSpeaker · Answer

To anyone who thinks race is real. Race is NOT REAL. Before you get angry, let me explain because you are operating from zero research on the matter.

So many people on here think ethnicity is race lol. They don't understand that they are different things. Science has proven race doesn't exist and so has historical record. There are more differences between the 54 ethnicities in Africa than there are between white and black people according to science. I wish everyone would wake up because we have the cure to racism. The root cause of racism is race. If we get rid of the belief of multiple races using science we can end racism! It may take time but it is the best solution and really the only solution. Please just go do the research before you close you mind to this subject. Think about you grandkids. Maybe you are wrong for once.
And be careful in your research because a lot racist from the 20th century didn't want this information getting out. People with high positions, in some cases, have lied on the matter in order to keep the great lie going. And it isn't the only great lie but that is for another day.

NicoletteXO · Answer

This is absurd. Of course race exists. I got my Ancestry DNA results back from spitting in a tube, and without having any other information about me, they correctly identified me as predominantly Balkan and Irish - from my biological sample. They didn't identify me as African or Indian. If important physiological distinctions do not exist between races of people, how did they do this? Yes, of course, there are social elements associated with race - what's the problem? Indian food and Japanese food is also influenced by social constructs... doesn't mean the distinction doesn't exist.

EmbraceThePain · Answer

Well, it depends on how we are defining “race.”

Yes, there is a “human race,” but we can also use the word to describe lineages or groups of people pertaining to where in the world they come from or have originated from.

We all came from a giant landmass, Pangea, but that giant landmass split into what we call today the continents. Now, with this split, groups of people followed suit, ultimately ending up with people living at one end of the world and another group of people living on the other end.

And then other people living in between.

The difference between these people from a physical or phenotypic point of you is what we mean by a person’s “race.”

pillingsadness · Answer

Any two humans are cross-fertile. Therefore there is only one race - human. There are differences in climate that contribute to hair color, body type, and complexion, but a Chukchi can still marry and have children with an Australian Aborigine or an African Bushmen. And an Amazonian native can produce children with a European, so there is only one race. Blood transfusions work across all humans. Therefore, one race - human. We have no proven elves, trolls, or aliens.

Race is not a scientific construct. All humans are members of the species H. sapiens, and there is no defining biological trait that identifies an individual as belonging to one “race” or another.

MarkRet · Answer

Yes and no. We are all part of the human race, but there are genetic differences that make us separate races. It's like dogs. There are different breeds of dogs, but dogs are also similar to their ancestors, the wolves. Wolves and dogs can interbreed, so are they all wolves? Not really, but they're genetically close enough to be one or the other. I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

Modern humans and Neanderthals are both considered Homo Sapiens, but they're clearly different humans. There are even Neanderthal DNA traces in some modern humans, which would indicate interbreeding was possible.

zzombie · Answer

Yes and no. Humans are a species, but if we are trying to be philosophical here than sure. There is only one race, that of which is human. Obviously that's not how the world works though, people of different colors/races are treated differently sadly. I personally don't care what people look like, I treat everyone equally in the sense that I don't care about people until I'm given a reason to, and people's appeance doesn't change the quality in which I treat them. I observe peoples actions and treat them accordingly, skin color/race is irrelevant to me.

ohshee · Answer

There's only one race the human race we are all made with 97% of the same exact DNA our loving God in our last 3% of our DNA is made so wherever we live on this planet whatever the conditions of our environment whatever kind of harsh conditions it may be our bodies adapt to it that is changing the color of the skin because I'm assuming that's what you're talking about so we are all one and for the people that cannot accept that or understand that and they want to cause a problem with that instead of a solution they should get off the fucking planet

GoldenAxer · Answer

I don't know. That's like a semantic thing. People definitely look different here and there, and in the medical field, certain racial phenotypes are more susceptible to one disease over another (although that might be a generalization based on being able to narrow down more specific correlations). I don't think that affects their ability to do an awesome job at something or be the best friend or lover of our lives.

I'm cool with the concept of racial phenotypes even though I'm in a weird category of being biracial as they call it. I'm not cool with people thinking they know who I am based on just that information.

KaylaD24 · Answer

You kind of have to be and idiot to think we are alone we have animals like giant ass whales tiny ass fish birds a bunch of other predators that all vastly look different from each other is it soo crazy to think humans are not the only intelligent lifeform their is a vast universe that we haven't even explored 0.00000000000000000000000001% of that yet and by the way that's no a small number the real percentage of the universe is likely a calculation that the zero point somethink somethinks would actually take million of years to write now based on that are you telling me earth Is the only planet that has lifeforms on you gotta be living in a fairy tail land if you think that's the case.

FakeName123 · Answer

Let me ask you this? Do you believe that all other animal species are all the same? Is the Asian elephant identical to the African? Are all different kinds of tigers identical?

Because we do have genetical variation depending on different phenotype within the human species. For example Africa had no contact to the rest of the world for more than 20.000 years (until we managed to build ships). Do you think that has no difference?
How about environmental specialisiation? Do you think our genetics didn't adapt to the environment that our ethnicity comes from? For example: White just having white skin colour because of living in an environment with less sun exposure?

That's ridiculous. We do have differences.

Except of course you are just talking about the morality aspect. But then you need to clarify that as the word race always relates to a persons ethnicity and thus is a biological reality.

t-8900 · Answer

I'm Italian. My best friends are a Nigerian, a Mexican, and a Pole. The women I gravitate towards are Latinas, Indians, and Mixed race women. I give no fucks about skin color, nor should anyone. When was the last time white people treated the "white race" all brotherly? or the "black race"? People did horrible things to people. But I didn't, nor would I ever do those things and nor should anyone want to. We are more aware now then ever before. And while we are upset about many things, one thing I can say is that we can clearly see plain as day that skin color means NOTHING and that's a great thing!

Questionevrythinn · Answer

No I'm not indenial, delusional, or living in a fantasy world. I'm a realistic down to earth person... There's obviously 5 or 6 different races.. white black Asian.. uhh... African... Russian.. so on... If there was only one race why is there multiple option boxes to tick on those tests or letters we get from doctors?

Yes human race is the one on the wider spectrum... But there's sub categories of the human race... Called race... And there's obviously more than one race... Indenial retards

humpbackjack · Answer

We all bleed the same color when we’re cut and sweat the same sweat when we work and cry the same tears when our hearts are broken? Don’t we all have the same basic needs just think of what we all could accomplish if we all got along and put our minds together to solve the problems we’re all facing today it’s time to leave the past in the past and create a better tomorrow for everyone and as far as anyone not willing to leave that ignorance alone then just leave them behind and only look forward and accept each other

Smoke-n-Growls · Answer

Race =/= Species.

There's a pretty big difference.

Trying to pretend we don't all have different cultures, histories, or genes isn't going to make racism go away.

Accepting and celebrating that we are all different people, but with shared humanity and living together on this chunk of rock hurtling through space, is better, in my opinion.

We're all just human. That's all.

Ghostlock · Answer

Race is the human race, now more than ever, especially since there is now scientific evidence that extraterrestrial existence.

Now, we have ethnicity, which is something different that determines our skin color. Skin color is different based on the Continents your ancestors come from.

Race is not a social construct any more than ethnicity is. I find that to be a flawed concept. The only social construct expressed here is when people say that race is a social construct.

Pretending that differences in skin color only exists as a social construct does more harm than good.

So I half agree and I half disagree. I agree that race does not equal skin color, but I disagree that skin color is a social construct. Skin color exists in reality which is the opposite of what a social construct is.

BeMuse · Answer

Nope that's a platitude for uneducated morons. There are many animals in the animal kingdom. Among them are various animals that have subspecies/races that are capable of interbreeding and producing offspring but don’t tend to do so due to geographic isolation.

BCA6010 · Answer

I believe that obsessing over "race" creates new problems while ignoring real issues. People can and should be judged by their actions, good and bad. Skin color, cheek bones, hair texture and other frivolous crap is pointless in the forging and function of a society, even though everyone knows damn well it'll never be totally stomped out because humans are naturally competitive and tribalistic, and anything short of an alien invasion won't ever unite humanity.

Dragonpurple · Answer

There is only one race, there is many different cultures, which are often based on regions, which tends to be like minded people.

It would make more sense to say, rather than claim everyone who disagrees with you is racist to say, they are culturists or anti culture.

crmoore · Answer

It depends on definitions and labels. But I think it's pretty clear that there are varying genetic frequencies among different "races." Anyone who thinks that the biological structure of Asian people, on average, is the same as the biological structure of black people, on average, is just lying to you or themselves.

Alexandrubaschet08 · Answer

Race are clear and a fact, the fact we can reproduce togeder prove olso we are biologicaly humans.
The fact we ca all can think, talk, and understand each other and comunicate make us inteligent creatures.
The way we deal whit our diference definate our society.
Do we want a complet mixed society whit black, whit and Asian people togeder or some group of each others in some place of country or citys whit small place of mixing?

Archerer · Answer

DNA difference between groups is smaller than DNA differences within groups, so scientifically race is insignificant and just a social construct. Behaviourally, it matters, but usually on a cultural level, not a true meaningful level. It's like different types of dogs, they are all dogs, do we see them as different "races" of dogs? not really... The differences are obvious, but dogs are dogs. And a pit bull can be the sweetest or the most vicious. As with all other dogs, and all races too.

doopayo · Answer

Yes and no, human is a species. It’s a good figure of speech though. I believe ethnicity and nationality is more of an influence on people rather than their race even though race is a factor as well it is a concept based off appearances/phenotypes

Rachelspiks · Answer

Yes, I do, and the sooner we dispense with the stupid idea that there are "races" (plural) the better off we'll be! Craig Venter is absolutely correct in that quote above.

noohair · Answer

It is not a belief is is a scientific fact. What is known as different races is 19th century pseudo science. There is one race, Homo sapiens. The external characteristics called race differences is scientifically incorrect. Homo sapiens have different physical, cultural and religious differences that have been incorrectly identified as race differences. The 21th century science is in on this.

Sarahr123 · Answer

No. Mongolians look different, Blacks look different, Caucasoids look different. Indians, Mediterraneans and Europeans are for the most part Caucasoid, original Africans are Black and South East Asians and East Asians are Mongoloid.

menina · Answer

Yes I do. What happens is that we have physical differences which are the result of social and historical events.
Deep down we are all the same, our bodies and brains are equal. We all come and leave this world in the same way.

Blackcupcake · Answer

no... there are different races and it shouldn't be a negative thing, people just make it into it.

CowboyAceTre · Answer

There's one race, canis familiaris, but there's many different breeds... Humans are animals, no matter what you'd like to think. We're the same species, but not the same breeds. We are closer, genetically, than different, but there are genetic differences between each "breed."

more_than_a_guy · Answer

Races do exist, whh do I even need to explain this? And not only social like people here said, but biological differences. USA and their obsession to race is insane.
I don't say that we should benefit one race over the other. But ignoring that races don't exist is delusional.

Anonymous · Answer

If that's true then we can. . .

agree that ALL lives matter
end affirmative action
stop asking for this information on the census
end separate housing and graduation ceremonies for students claiming to be of different races
etc.
etc.

Is that correct?

Skyros · Answer

Ultimately, I believe there are some things we’ll never understand in regard to race. Sadly it will always be a divider for some people just like gender. People have argued over these two subjects for thousands of years. We haven’t changed as much as everyone likes to think.

MotorcycleMan · Answer

Biologically, yes, there is only one race. If you want to force it, that race is black. Race is a word created long before we fully understood our own genome. Absolutely a social construct.

Miss_Wats0n · Answer

There should be no cast, race, religion and sex bar between us.

jshm2 · Answer

You mean "species" as there biologically is no such thing as "race". It's a social construct began by the Romans, to define citizens of the empire, within their perceived realms.

RolandCuthbert · Answer

You are in the wrong place. A lot of folks here stop believing in science. Because science doesn't seem to endorse their politics.

FatherJack · Answer

No , the many different races within the human species , evolved due to their ancestors local environment , it is NOT a " social construct " , they are adaptations to the various races local environmental conditions.

K-I-S-S · Answer

No, there are definitely different races.

And in general every race has their personality types, their strenghts and weaknesses.

And same in both genders.

Equal rights and equal responsibility should be on everyone.

Browneye57 · Answer

Of course. The majority were there, but this new wave of anti-whiteness is a construct to promote racism, division, and segregation. Obummer really got it going in the wrong direction, and it's just gotten worse from there.

Sincerly_KittyCat · Answer

Humans aren't a race its a species.

Anonymous · Answer

I don’t know why humans are called race or human race  We are us as in human species —

joesheks · Answer

Um, races are subspecies — humans are a species NOT a race. Do you only believe in one breed of dog? The Dog Breed? Instead of the dog species

Miristheiss · Answer

Sure.  Culture is the main thing the separates people.  Not the "look" but the cultures different people live by.

sawno · Answer

From a moral perspective yes, from a visual perspective no.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

I see ''us'' similar to dogs: there are different breeds, but in the end we are all more or less the same.

FinalFantasyBro · Answer

Honestly no, while yes all of us humans are the same species but technically we do have slight difference in appearance so no us humans doesn't only have one race.

_乃尺OЩ刀_TITI · Answer

Yeah. Race is species. Yeah there's one human species currently, homo sapien (RIP Homo Erectus the best homo). ''Race'' in common language is ethncity, which is obviously multiple.

Friendlybro79 · Answer

If aliens are real and attack us we will all realize how dumb we've been to each other over freaking skin tone. Magically over night racism, as we know it, will be a thing of the past

Andres77 · Answer

Human race, yes. I think we should go back to calling ourselves humans but of different tribes. Tribes instead of race. A lot of this shyt would make more sense.

FreyaRed · Answer

Nope Socioeconomic factors don't convince me in differences in many statistics.

genericname85 · Answer

Most definitely not. It's as wrong to ignore the obvious morphological variance as it is to tie any sort of ideology to those differences.

_Just_A_girl_ · Answer

There's only one race those saying otherwise turn out to be racist. Those with the idea of than one race is why there was segregation.

Dargil · Answer

There is one species. There are different "races" of bovines, such as Cape Buffalo and American Bison, Horses and Zebra. They can interbreed.

Cnlngler · Answer

Yes, And I also believe that humans have not ebolved enough to accept that. Athough I blame Religion for that as well.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

I believe there is no excuse for pigeon-holing someone based on their bodily traits which they born into and have no crontol over.

MountAverage · Answer

What does that have to do with belief? Biologically speaking there are no races, we're all one and the same species with different phenotypes. But what we call "race" is completely arbitrary nonsense.

BlackCatBone · Answer

No, there's ONE species, not one race (by definition)

Do you believe there is only one race, the human race?

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