Author: POUCHET, Georges.
Title: The Plurality of the Human Race: translated and edited ... by Hugh J.C. Beavan.
Description: Longman, for the Anthropological Society 1864. Octavo publisher's cloth. A nice copy. ¶ Pouchet did little to advance his father's belated theories of spontaneous generation but his theories of separate species of humanity were perfectly timed. His intention seems less to be to establish racial supremacy - unlike Gobineau and most of the American polygenesists, being French he probably saw no need to press an already ineffaceable advantage - than to cudgel Christianity. This English translation is invaluable for having been prepared by a horrified Englishman of the upright and conscientious type; the best type. Having been charged with the task Beavan has dutifully prepared it for presentation to the English public despite his raging disapproval: "when Author and Editor differ so considerably ... such very peculiar ideas ... I am sorry to find in it opinions with which I cannot at all agree ... science is strained in an unnatural manner .. entirely unproved ... much to be regretted ... Author and Editor are in entire disagreement ... better left unsaid ..." come from his quite short preface. Still, he has been unable to restrain himself from peppering the book with angry footnotes.

Keywords: anthropology evolution c19th France race science psychology social sciences racism