Race claims an ontological status that can only be sustained transcendentally, like religious belief

Evidence

Starting with a theological transcendentalism underpinning the claims to an ontological status for race (it can sustain itself in no other way than transcendentally), racial belief structures the frames of reference as the theological does: it “commands” belief, exactly. — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 1525

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains why racial categories need transcendental grounding: they cannot be empirically secured.
• DEEPTHINKING: A dense thesis that race’s ontological claims are structurally theological — worth sitting with.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 1525
• XREF: connects to: White race-national identity requires transcendental grounding because race cannot otherwise claim ontological status. — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 1525