"Conserve" Races? In Defense of W. E. B. Du Bois

Abstract

The concept of race is defended as a socially appropriate & necessary way of identifying persons & groups. Fundamental differences among people & the specific historical political contexts of societies are best conceptualized through the use of race. The appropriate use of race concepts that recognize & celebrate differences while maintaining political balance allows for the social formation of race, so that race concepts combine a cluster of biological, cultural, & geographical features in a single word. W. E. B. Du Bois's (1940) argument for this type of race concept is defended against the criticism of Kwame Anthony Appiah (1986), who erroneously attributes an essentialist conception of race to Du Bois. Du Bois's sensitivity to the political & cultural importance of race is argued to be superior to that of Appiah, who does not give enough credence to Du Bois's idea of choosing & fashioning racial identity. H. von Rautenfeld