Misconceptions of “Race” as a Biological Category: Then and Now

  • Theresa M. Duello

Abstract

The Third Reich’s conception of a race was predicated on the belief that a “race”* was distinguished by a distinct group of genetically transmitted physical characteristics and that the inheritance of a small number of certain physical characteristics, such as white skin, blond hair, and blue eye?, was genetically linked to the inheritance of other traits deemed superior. The Nordic people bearing these characteristics were considered Aryans, or the “Master Race.”

Keywords

Medical Student Hair Color Biological Category Blond Hair Hair Type 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Notes

  1. 4.
    H.H. Goddard, Feeblemindedness: Its Causes and Consequence? (New York: Macmillan, 1914), 4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 6.
    Arthur C aplan, ed., When Medicine Went Mad: Bio ethics and the Holocaus? (Totawa, NJ: Humana Press, 1992).Google Scholar
  3. 7.
    James M. Glass, Life Unworthy of Life: Racial Phobia and Mass Murder in Hitlers German? (New York City: Basic Books, 1997).Google Scholar
  4. 8.
    Vivien Spitz, Doctors from Hell: The Horrific Account of Nazi Experiment on Human? (Boulder: Sentient Publications, 2005).Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Sheldon Rubenfeld 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • Theresa M. Duello
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUSA

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