Arthur De Gobineau
Arthur de Gobineau
Arthur de Gobineau, Count de Gobineau, born Joseph Arthur de Gobineau on 14 July 1816, was a prominent French writer and diplomat who significantly contributed to the development of racial theories during the 19th century. Gobineau is best known for his work, "An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races," which was published between 1853 and 1855. This work introduced the concept of "scientific race theory" and "racial demography," laying the foundations for the controversial theory of the Aryan master race and Nordicism.
Early Life and Background
Gobineau was born into an aristocratic family associated with the Ancien Régime. He was a staunch Legitimist, advocating for royalist rule by the House of Bourbon and opposing the French Revolution, democracy, and the rule by the House of Orléans after the 1830 July Revolution.
Ideological Influence
Although Gobineau's writings were not well-received in France, they found a receptive audience among white supremacist and pro-slavery advocates in the United States, such as Josiah C. Nott and Henry Hotze. These individuals translated Gobineau’s works into English, deliberately omitting parts that negatively portrayed Americans as a racially mixed population.
Gobineau's racial theories suggested that civilization's decline was directly linked to racial mixing. He believed in the superiority of the Aryan race, particularly the Nordic people, whom he claimed were the purest and most advanced. His ideas influenced the development of scientific racism and had a profound impact on later racial theorists, such as Houston Stewart Chamberlain.
Impact and Legacy
Despite the controversial nature of his work, Gobineau's theories gained traction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly influencing the ideology of Aryanism and the racial policies in Nazi Germany. His ideas were further propagated by organizations such as the Gobineau Association, founded in 1894 by Ludwig Schemann to promote Gobineau's racial theories.
Gobineau's personal life was intertwined with his professional pursuits. He was married to Clémence Gabrielle Monnerot, and they had a daughter, Diane de Guldencrone, who became part of the French diplomatic society.