THE MYTH OF THE WHITE MAN: DECONSTRUCTING COLONIAL NARRATIVES OF POWER

Elżbieta BINCZYCKA-GACEK¹

Publication language: Polish

Journal article

Transformations No. 4 (119) 2023,  Publication date: 29 December 2023

Article No. 20231229132438925

Keywords: philosophy of myth, the myth of the white man, colonialism, white hegemony, postcolonial studies, racism

Abstract This article examines the myth of the white man, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Ernst Cassirer and Hans Blumenberg. The myth of the white man is primarily rooted in the belief in the distinctive "civilizing mission" attributed to white Europeans, which is further reinforced by racist narratives, often inter-twined with theological underpinnings. The focus of this analysis is to explore the origins and dissemination of this narrative, which emerged concurrently with the colonial expansion of European empires beyond their continental borders. Furthermore, the article aims to highlight the association between the myth of white hegemony and Christian religions, acknowledging that the narrative took shape differently within Catholic and Protestant contexts.

1. Institute of Intercultural Studies, Faculty of International and Political Studies, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland

   ORCID: 0000-0003-1443-2907

   E-mail: e.binczycka-gacek@uj.edu.pl

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