Hume and Kant denied Africans all capacity for high achievement

Evidence

The Negroes of Africa have by nature no feeling that rises above the tri- fling. Mr Hume challenges anyone to cite a single example in which a Negro has shown talents, and asserts that among the hundreds of thousands of blacks who are transported elsewhere from their countries, although many of them have even been set free, still not a single one was ever found who presented anything great in art or science or any other praiseworthy quality, even though among the whites some continually rise aloft from the lowest rabble, and through superior gifts earn respect in the world. So fundamental is the difference between these two races of man, and it appears to be as great in regard to mental capacities as in color. … The religion of fetishes so widespread among them is perhaps a sort of idolatry that sinks as deeply into the trifling as appears to be possible to human nature. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 132

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s existing material on colonial/European condescension toward Africa; a foundation for the entire Bantu Philosophy debate.