Race is an important concept in philosophy, a topic that has been the focus of many important debates. A variety of philosophical approaches to race exist, ranging from those that emphasize biological reduction to those that are more social constructionist.
Many scholars now accept that the scientific understanding of human genetic diversity has essentially eliminated the notion of discrete biological races. Moreover, scholarly research into the history and anthropology of humans has also largely rejected the idea that racial categories represent valid biological concepts. The result is that a majority of scholars in all disciplines now consider race to be socially constructed rather than biologically real.
However, some philosophers continue to believe that the existence of biologically distinct groups with a common historical origin may justify the use of the term race. They argue that the fact that certain phenotypic features, such as skin color or hair structure, cluster within some groups of humans suggests that these groups have experienced a degree of reproductive isolation either during evolution or through modern practices that bar interbreeding. Others, such as Sally Haslanger, who holds a constructivist view of race, rely on her intuition that our ordinary usage of the word demonstrates that there are racially identifiable groups whose membership requires satisfying three criteria: a) the group has phenotypic features that can be observed and recognized; b) the group’s members have or could be imagined to have particular ancestry from specific geographical regions; and c) the group’s satisfaction of the first two criteria plays a role in its members’ systemic subordination or privilege (2019, pgs 256-261).
Other philosophers reject the notion that race is an innate and biologically valid category, instead arguing that the category of race is an artificial construct that combines cultural and sociological factors with a misguided interpretation of genetic data. They contend that this understanding of the concept of race contributes to the continuing injustice of racial discrimination in America and elsewhere.
Still others, such as those who hold an analytic view of the problem, maintain that the concept of race is valid and that it carries significant moral significance. In these cases, the discussion focuses on the normative and ethical issues of race and how to address them in society. Other philosophers, especially those who work within the Continental traditions of Existentialism and Phenomenology, analyze how the concept of race is embodied in our lived experiences. They draw on authors such as Fanon and Merleau-Ponty to understand how the idea of race shapes our lives at both the social structural and subconscious levels. They often reframe the questions about the moral status of race in terms of a critique of racism and its causes. Moreover, they examine the nature of the relationship between a person’s racial identity and the extent to which he or she has been subjected to racial prejudice and discrimination. In this way, they seek to develop a theory of racial justice that would allow us to assess policies or institutional forms that aim to redress the ills of racial inequality.