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Sat 9 Aug, 2014 09:50 am
Context:
The highest civilization and culture, apart from the ancient Hindus and Egyptians, are found exclusively among the white races; and even with many dark peoples, the ruling caste or race is fairer in colour than the rest and has, therefore, evidently immigrated, for example, the Brahmans, the Incas, and the rulers of the South Sea Islands. All this is due to the fact that necessity is the mother of invention because those tribes that emigrated early to the north, and there gradually became white, had to develop all their intellectual powers and invent and perfect all the arts in their struggle with need, want and misery, which in their many forms were brought about by the climate. This they had to do in order to make up for the parsimony of nature and out of it all came their high civilization.[43]
@oristarA,
With the obligatory disclaimer that I find this passage from Schopenhauer to be rather offensive...
Yes the word "they" is implied. He is saying that when these tribes got to the north (there), they gradually became white.
@oristarA,
That leaves out the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans, three great civilizations of South America.
@oristarA,
Does this mean that that the darker races will surpass the white races in the future, since the last ones have been living pretty comfortable for some time and the other ones have so much struggle in their lives in many areas of the world? According to the text this is a possibility.
Wrong reasoning obviously. Besides the race changes continuously during the many incarnations, so assuming that one is white, black or whatever is very superficial
Yes, even some of the most illuminated minds can be blinded, but there is always the possibility to learn the truth in the next lives through very different and surprising incarnations. Fortunately, the Universe continuously teaches the ignorants.
It's rather silly also because "nature" was not parsimonious--humans moved to the north because of more abundant game and forage foods. Far from the situation deteriorating in the ice ages, the forests were withered and disappeared in response to periglacial conditions, and were replaced by grass lands. Game was so abundant that ancient humans burned bone in their fires, and had a sufficiency despite the relative rarity of wood for fuel. This is a perfect example of the educated idiot who makes claims based on an imperfect understanding, or based on perfect ignorance about the subject on which he pontificates.
@maxdancona,
maxdancona wrote:Yes the word "they" is implied. He is saying that when these tribes got to the north (there), they gradually became white.
I would rather say that the word 'who' is implied or suggested:
...those tribes that emigrated early to the north, and who there gradually became white...
Remember that the quoted text is a translation from Schopenhauer's original German.
As for the digression: Schopenhauer was racist. News at 11.
@oristarA,
Here's a wiki article that should bring some balance to the "white super race" meme.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_inventions
@oristarA,
No, Ori, it seems "there" was meant. There they became white
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