Key Difference – Race vs Color
While the concept of race is often used to classify human beings into different groups, race and skin color remain two distinct concepts. The idea that race could be determined based on skin color was once popular, but Charles Darwin rejected the notion that skin color had anything to do with race. The classification of humans by skin color was later rejected as baseless and without scientific reasoning after World War II.
What is Race?
Race is a concept used to classify humans into different groupings. Historically, some scientists and anthropologists used skin color as a basis for determining race. However, Charles Darwin rejected this notion, stating that the number of colors attributed to races was arbitrary.
What is Color?
The concept of skin color as a metaphor for race was introduced in the 18th century by Swedish scientist Carolus Linnaeus, who created a scientific model for human races based on skin color. Linnaeus categorized human races into four main categories based on skin color: white race (Europeans), yellow race (Asians), red race (Americans), and black race (Africans). Later, a brown race (Polynesians, Melanesians, and aborigines of Australia) was added. However, after World War II, any system of classification based on skin color was rejected as baseless and without scientific reasoning.
What is the Difference Between Race and Color?
- Race: The concept of race is used to classify human beings into different groupings.
- Color: The color of skin is one way to classify humans into different races.
- Labeling: Races are sometimes labeled according to skin color, while color is used as a variant in labeling.
