Houston Chamberlain justifies racism, by Ari Sclar

Nothing is so convincing as the consciousness of the possession of Race. The man who belongs to a distinct, pure race, never loses the sense of it…Race lifts a man above himself: it endows him with extraordinary — I might almost say supernatural — powers, so entirely does it distinguish him from the individual who springs from the chaotic jumble of peoples drawn from all parts of the world…the fact of Race strengthens and elevates him on every hand, and he becomes a genius towering over the rest of mankind…because he soars heavenward like some strong and stately tree, nourished by thousands and thousands of roots — no solitary individual, but the living sum of untold souls striving for the same goal.

• Houston Chamberlain, 1899

1. Does Chamberlain’s passage make clear how he views racial identity in relation to liberal ideas of nationalism? Explain.

1. What implications did the above text have for minority groups in Europe? How did you conclude this? Use direct quotes from the text to explain your conclusion (do not simply underline the quote – you must explain the significance).