Race Delusion: Lies That Divide Us

I was re-reading an article from May 2016 and thought that now—following the events surrounding Charlottesville—would be an auspicious time to re-post the insights of my brilliant friend, David. This is dedicated to the memory of Heather Heyer and to bringing truth to the false perceptions and calculated lies that divide us.

David Livingstone Smith is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of London, Kings College, where he worked on Freud’s philosophy of mind and psychology. His current research is focused on dehumanization, race, propaganda, and related topics. David is the author of seven books and numerous academic papers. His most recent book Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave and Exterminate Others (St. Martin’s Press, 2011) was awarded the 2012 Anisfield-Wolf award for nonfiction. He is also editor of How Biology Shapes Philosophy, which will be published by Cambridge University Press later this year, and he is working on a book entitled Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization, which will be published by Harvard University Press.