Eram Sum Ero.

Oremus Mare.

I believe in you.

January 26, 2025

8B7FC2B6-3DDF-4C65-AACC-E6C577F6C23F.png

Introduction

The phrase "white people aren’t real" may sound provocative, but it reveals a profound truth about the nature of racial categories: they are not rooted in biological reality but are instead social constructs built around superficial traits. While people with lighter skin tones are certainly real, the concept of "whiteness" as a distinct, meaningful category is no more real than the rules of a childhood game, such as hopscotch. This paper explores the philosophical, biological, and social dimensions of race, demonstrating that racial categories are constructed by societies and lack inherent reality. If race realism—the idea that racial distinctions are biologically deterministic—is false, then "white people," like all racial groups, exist only as societal fictions.

The Biological Reality of Humans

Humans are a diverse species with physical traits, such as skin color, hair texture, and facial features, varying across populations. These traits are the result of genetic adaptations to environmental conditions over thousands of years. However:

  1. Race Does Not Map Onto Genetics: Genetic studies consistently show that there is more variation within so-called racial groups than between them. Skin color, for instance, is influenced by a small subset of genes and does not determine intelligence, behavior, or morality.
  2. Arbitrary Divisions: The traits used to define "White" or "Black" are arbitrary. A person categorized as "White" in one society might not be considered "White" in another, highlighting the fluidity and subjectivity of racial categories.

Thus, while the biological traits associated with "White people" (e.g., pale skin, straight hair) are real, they do not form a coherent or biologically distinct group. The concept of "Whiteness" is a social narrative, not a biological fact.

The Social Construction of Race

Race is not grounded in biology but is a social construct—a system of classification societies use to organize and assign meaning to human diversity. This is where "white people" gain their supposed reality:

  1. Whiteness as Power and Privilege:

• The concept of "whiteness" historically emerged to create and reinforce systems of power. For example, in colonial and post-colonial societies, "white" came to signify superiority, while "non-white" signified inferiority.

• These distinctions were built on visible traits like skin color but had no basis in biological necessity or truth.

  1. Cultural and Historical Realities: