Alexander von Humboldt Quotes
While we maintain the unity of the human species, we at the same time repel the depressing assumption of superior and inferior races of men. There are nations more susceptible of cultivation, more highly civilized, but none in themselves nobler than others. All are, in like degree, designed for freedom.
This statement has been described by the great American scientist Stephen J. Gould as “the most famous 19th century statement of equality made by a scientist.” Humboldt was one of the great scientists of his era and personally met with Thomas Jefferson who was a great admirer of his and who had read his works. It is somewhat ironic that the German racism of the 20th century was so ignorant of Humboldt’s views even as it lauded the great German. The famous Nazi book burning scene seen in newsreels around the world actually took place outside the library of Humboldt University in Berlin.
Alexander von Humboldt, 1769-1859, Prussian Scientist and Statesman, Kosmos, Volume II
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This was a very unusual assertion for Germany where traditionally the Germans had seen themselves as a separate race and often the “master race.” Herder wrote this 50 years before Darwin and 150 years before we had thee scientific proof that race was a meaningless concept and all humans alive today are of the same species. Herder also criticized the historical German persecution of the Jews.
He and Mandella were both awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for engineering what was probably the largest transition of power without violence in world history.
At the time he made this speech it was very radical. School segregation was not only legal but was required by law in the Southern states. This was a huge slap in the face of the South which had undermined the gains of Reconstruction. It did not however hurt his future political career in the North. At the time it was the Republicans who were the champions of desegregation and equality and most racists in the country were Democrats. One hundred years later, it was the other way around. Most racists affiliated with the Republican Party and it was the Democrats who advocated strong anti-discriminatory measures.
The American army which had occupied the Philippines before Taft was appointed Governor General was extremely racist and discriminatory towards the Philippine people. Taft and his wife invited Filipinos to the Governor’s mansion and socialized with them whereas the Army officers and men never did. See {639174}.
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835). Humboldt's quantitative work on botanical geography laid the foundation for the field of biogeography. Humboldt's advocacy of long-term systematic geophysical measurement laid the foundation for modern geomagnetic and meteorological monitoring.
