Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word "race" has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one today would deny that it is one of the great catchwords about which ink and blood are spilled in reckless quantities. Yet no agreement seems to exist about what race means.


Race: A Study in Modern Superstition (1937)

Jacques Barzun Quotes

Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word race has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one ...

Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word race has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one ...

Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word race has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one ...

Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word race has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one ...