Is race an invention?

Question

If so, how?

Answer 1

Yes, it's a social construct that had to be defined some way.  Humans defined it on the basis of arbitrary values of appearance for whatever reason.  As humans defined it--it was therefore invented.

As for whether or not it "exists" genetically, that's irrelevant, people made it up.  Hence it's invented.

Answer 2

I don't think so.

Answer 3

Not really, it just happened was two cavemen were trying not to be lunch for the saber-tooth tiger chasing them.

Answer 4

Yes, it's a social construct. Go to the library, get a good specialized encyclopedia of the social sciences, and look up "race" and "social construct" to learn what all this means.

Answer 5

Race is just an umbrella categorization for humans. The three races have so much ethnic diversity within them though that it does seem kind of pointless.

Answer 6

Technically, yes. Anything that can produce viable offspring together is the same species, plain and simple. But obviously there are genetic components to race, as there are genetic reasons as to why races look different, and some come with stuff like heights, being prone to different diseases, whatever.

Answer 7

Race physically is not an invention, but the idea that races are different besides their physicalities is a social construct. 

Answer 8

Now that we are able to decode the entire human genome, geneticists tell us there is less difference between us than we once thought.  What we call 'race' is really nothing more than skin color and the shapes of some features.  Beneath the skin, there is no difference in average intelligence or temperament. 

So, despite the fond fantasies of racists, 'race' as we think of it, is an illusion.  I wouldn't say it was 'invented', it's just a wrong idea people had long ago, and idea that's outdated and discredited.