The racist pseudoscientific ideology based on the theories of Joseph Arthur de Gobineau, promoting racial hierarchy and white supremacy.
From the surname Gobineau (French count and diplomat, 1816-1882) plus '-ism' meaning a system of beliefs or ideology; his work 'Essay on the Inequality of Human Races' became the basis for this harmful ideology.
Gobinism was completely discredited by modern genetics, which shows human races don't exist as biological categories—yet this fake science was devastatingly influential in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Named after Joseph Gobineau (1816–1882), white French aristocrat who developed a pseudo-scientific racism based on blood purity and racial hierarchy. His theories explicitly positioned women as inferior within racial classifications.
Use only in historical/critical context: 'Gobinism, a now-discredited racist ideology...' Always specify it is pseudoscience and connect to harm.
["racial hierarchy theory (discredited)","19th-century racial pseudo-science","Gobineau's racist ideology"]
Women scientists and historians—many of them from marginalized groups—were instrumental in debunking Gobineau's false theories; their work deserves emphasis when teaching this history.
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