Racial Contract Research Paper

The Racial Contract is the understanding that racism is not the side effect of malicious men in society, but rather the realization that racism is at the very core of society. The heart of the “Social Contract” itself. The explicit underground agreement between the tribes of Europe to promote whiteness, in the form of conquering, and subjugating those who do not belong to the peoples of Europe. This Contract running side by side with time for the latter part of a thousand years. Paying witness to the discovery of the new world, and the removal and genocides of “savages” from their ancestral lands.
This contract is the tool used to justify the past horrors of the “new” frontiers, by actively claiming that no people exist in these “new” locations
around the world simply because they are not up to the standard of European or White personhood. But rather diminished to sub personhood, hardly above that of animals. Thus allowing this unbeknownst agreement to ravage the peoples of the world through the might of a conjoined consciousness of racial superiority. Today the effects mainly being seen through the branding of civilization as mainly European in nature. With any other variation of society seen as subpar.
The State of Nature in the Social Contract is not used as an origin story of society, but rather as a scapegoat in the complete and utter domination of other peoples. Through the interpretation of “lesser” peoples being in an everlasting state of nature, it has been readily interpreted that colonization and conquering these “savages” has been justifiable. Justifiable in the fact that through subjugation of these peoples we are apparently bringing what we deem as humanity to them. Thus what the Contract actually does is to give claim and rationality to brute force that would not be justifiable in any other context.
So unlike the traditional social contracts which gives reason to the formation of societies, the Racial Contract gives reason to how society has evolved through the latter part of a thousand years. It is the complete examination that the majority of societal constructs is racially based, whether it is in the open or hidden behind closed doors. Allowing those of full personhood the advantage of psychological and physical power over those deemed lesser beings. It is the explanation that these traditional interpretations of the social contracts are only reserved those with full membership in the whiteness that is deemed humanity.
The Epistemic Contract is the supporting ideological contract of the Racial Contract.
In it contains the reasoning behind sub personhood, and the correlations between non whiteness and the state of nature. Giving a skewed overview of reality allowing those within the Racial Contract themselves to be blinded by it. Since those in agreement are the fish, they are unable to see the water that surrounds them.
In actuality all that the Epistemic Contract is is the blinding light that allows those within to go about their lives without ever batting an eye at their own actions. Since racism does not affect them they are unable to distinguish it themselves. If this Epistemic Contract would fall however, the entire Racial Contract would begin to crumble along with it. It would take some time, but it would crumble eventually.
Locke’s Social Contract completely facilitates the Racial Contract in the sense that everyone is equal in the state of nature, but once men of a certain group leave it to form a civilization they now become better than those who are interpreted to still be in the state of nature. They are considered human, but since they are not deemed civilized they are automatically lesser beings. Lesser beings who must be shown the ways of “proper” humanity. Therefore these sub are seen as children in the eyes of the
“civilized.”
The other side of this coin comes in the form of Locke’s definition of property, particular in what it is to utilize resources. Example being that in Locke’s eyes since the Native Americans were not utilizing the lands they were living on they had no right to such. The basis being that you only own land if you develop and utilize it. Allowing European immigrants to move into Native American lands, since they were viewed as unclaimed and undeveloped. Giving free reign to any White man's interpretation of what it means to develop land, and take it as their own.
The ways in which the Racial Contract influences mainstream philosophical theories is mainly in hiding reality behind closed doors. From the attempt of scientific justifications of different races of humans to be somehow less intelligent than their White counterparts, to the excuse that racism is merely a symptom of malicious people in society rather than a core foundation. However the question of race does bring about the question of whether racism is a natural inclination, or the societal construct of men from ages past looking to get ahead in any way possible.
You could make the argument that recent and modern racism is different from ages past. With the example ancient slaves who were mainly acquired from war or debts, in opposition in how colonial slaves were captured, bred, and forced through dehumanizing practices to extract as much free utility as possible. To the extent as I have already said that scientific justifications have been attempted as to why it was acceptable during those time periods. For the most part mainstream slavery has been abolished, but the subjugation of these peoples still continues through hidden agreements and blind beliefs.