Arthur Gobineau
Joseph Arthur de Gobineau was a French aristocrat who is best known for helping introduce scientific race theory and "racial demography", and for developing the theory of the Aryan master race and Nordicism. Known to his contemporaries as a novelist, diplomat and travel writer, he was an elitist who, in the immediate aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848, wrote An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races. In it he argued that aristocrats were superior to commoners and that aristocrats possessed more Aryan genetic traits because of less interbreeding with inferior races.
The inequality of human races
In a world of supposed progress, a shocking theory emerges, claiming that the destiny of nations hangs on the fragile thread of racial purity, sparking a debate about the very foundations of civilization.
By Arthur Gobineau
The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind
A controversial study questions accepted wisdom by examining if inherent racial differences shape the course of history and governance.
By Arthur Gobineau