Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Linder
[I'm going to transfer this into The Verbal War subforum.]
That's quite interesting, Stonewall. A couple points: 1) re you sure someone isn't going back and substituting modern 'racism' for some other term in whichever language the Eastern Orthodox were using in 1872? 2) the idea that 'racism' was created/popularized by Trotsky/Hirschfeld is from a Sam Francis essay. He was a PhD, so it is assumed he would have that stuff nailed down. Not that it hugely matters, but it is interesting to trace it.
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I've been doing some thinking on this, at the prompting of a mutual friend.
You may have a point there, Alex. The word is phyletism, from the Greek word "phili," translated "race.". It would be good to know which word the original publication used. Frankly, I don't know.
It is possible, even likely, that the Church used the word as applied to various European nationalities. The record is replete with references to "The German race," or "The French race," etc.
Since it is not likely that there existed a race problem as we know it today within the area covered by this Church synod, it is very likely that they were not even thinking about the Bantu when they wrote this. I doubt if any Orthodox priest would have blessed a marriage between a European girl and an African savage in 1872.
Whatever the truth is on this matter, your position that the word as it has been used in the last century is an invention of our racial enemy is correct.