Origins of Racializing Thought is a four-year research project (2022–2026) at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The project is funded by the Kone Foundation.

In this project, we explore the notions of “race”, gender and otherness caused e.g., by national origin or disability, and the theoretical underpinnings and consequences of these views within the history of Western philosophy. By scrutinizing philosophical sources through the prism of intersectional feminism, we highlight different narratives of otherness, classifications and groupings of people, and intersections or parallels between different categories (such as, woman, slave, barbarian, etc.).

The project aims at revealing certain early origins and historical continuations of racializing thought – in other words, theories or ways of thinking that posit differences and hierarchies between groups of people, attempt to naturalize these differences by treating them as universal and unchangeable, and assume intrinsic connections between physical and mental capacities. Intersectional feminism and critical race theory provide us with methodical tools that help us to analyze how the different categories of marginalization intertwine, and how various metaphysical, ethical, medical, and political arguments are used to explain and justify these categories. 

Malin Grahn-Wilder’s research focuses particularly on Ancient theories, and Martina Reuter investigates Early modern thought. They are also interested in analysing the continuations between Ancient and Early Modern thought.