--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A genius has perhaps scarcely ever…" description: "\"A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is almost universally so low that it is beginning t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png" --- # A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the… ![“A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is almost universally so low that it is beginning to be acknowledged in America that their emancipation was an act of imprudence.” quote by Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png) > “A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is almost universally so low that it is beginning to be acknowledged in America that their emancipation was an act of imprudence.” [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claims Black people lack moral standards and that freeing them was a mistake, reflecting racist pseudoscience. **In simple terms:** Racist claim that Black people are immoral and emancipation was foolish. Key Takeaway Recognize and reject racist pseudoscience. Themes racism morality history Mood critical reflective Type historical controversial When to use this quote - academic study of racism - civil rights education - anti‑racist policy - media analysis Key Concepts pseudoscience colonialism white supremacy Questions to Reflect On - How do we confront historical racist ideas? - What evidence disproves these stereotypes? A Different Perspective Such sweeping claims are unsupported and ignore individual humanity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Emancipation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-emancipation-1844204/) [Appeared Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeared-negroes-1844203/) [Emancipation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emancipation/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Genius Scarcely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius-scarcely-1062547/) [Lows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lows/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes/) [Negroes Standard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-standard-1844205/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) ## Related quotes > [Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much; Who, born for the Universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/here-lies-our-good-edmund-whose-genius-was-such-we-scarcely-can/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Every intelligent person whose life has been passed in a slaveholding State, and who has carefully observed the character and capacity of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-b-taney/every-intelligent-person-whose-life-has-been-passed-in-a-slaveholding/) [Roger B. Taney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-b-taney/) > [Good education, housing and jobs are imperatives for the Negroes, and I shall support them in their fight to win these objectives, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/good-education-housing-and-jobs-are-imperatives-for-the-negroes-and-i/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Today, Negroes play on every big league club and in every minor league. With millions of other Negroes in other walks of life, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/today-negroes-play-on-every-big-league-club-and-in-every-minor-league/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [Offhand, the only North American writers I can think of who have come from a background of rural poverty and gone on to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-nowlan/offhand-the-only-north-american-writers-i-can-think-of-who-have-come/) [Alden Nowlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-nowlan/) > [It should seem that Negroes, of all Americans, would be found in the Free-thought fold, since they have suffered more than any other class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-harrison/it-should-seem-that-negroes-of-all-americans-would-be-found-in-the/) [Hubert Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-harrison/) > [I saw in Chicago, on the street where I was visiting my sister-in-law, this "Urban Renewal" and it means one thing: "Negro removal." But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-saw-in-chicago-on-the-street-where-i-was-visiting-my-sister-in-law/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Your ancestors dragged these black people from their homes by force; and in the white man's quest for wealth and an easy life they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/your-ancestors-dragged-these-black-people-from-their-homes-by-force/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Ethiopians, that is, Negroes, gave the world the first idea of right and wrong and thus laid the basis of religion and all true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ethiopians-that-is-negroes-gave-the-world-the-first-idea-of-right-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I have received the favor of your letter of August 17th, and with it the volume you were so kind as to send me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-have-received-the-favor-of-your-letter-of-august-17th-and-with-it/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Now, just a word about the poor Negroes... They're here. They've got to be cared for... The poor Negroes have got to live, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-long/now-just-a-word-about-the-poor-negroes-they-re-here-they-ve-got-to-be/) [Huey Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-long/) > [“He was suggesting that all Negroes were held in a state of supreme tension between the difficult, dangerous relationship in which they stood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/he-was-suggesting-that-all-negroes-were-held-in-a-state-of-supreme/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [As a race, the Negroes are not lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-a-race-the-negroes-are-not-lazy/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The people of the Southern States now own near five millions of these negroes, and they are worth to them near three millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-people-of-the-southern-states-now-own-near-five-millions-of-these/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those type of whites who are always going to jail with Negroes are the ones who tell Negroes to be loving and be kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/those-type-of-whites-who-are-always-going-to-jail-with-negroes-are/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More by Otto Weininger > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Only from within himself can a person know the depth of the world: in him lie the interconnections of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/only-from-within-himself-can-a-person-know-the-depth-of-the-world-in/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-men-who-really-think-deeply-about-women-retain-a-high-opinion-of/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [The number of different aspects that the face of a man has assumed may be taken almost as a physiognomical measure of his ... genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/the-number-of-different-aspects-that-the-face-of-a-man-has-assumed/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Man is alone in the world, in tremendous eternal isolation. He has no object outside himself; lives for nothing else; he is far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/man-is-alone-in-the-world-in-tremendous-eternal-isolation-he-has-no/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-men-who-really-think-deeply-about-women-retain-a-high-opinion-of-2/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/all-genius-is-a-conquering-of-chaos-and-mystery/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [With ordinary men the moments which are united in a close continuity out of the original discrete multiplicity are very few, and the course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/with-ordinary-men-the-moments-which-are-united-in-a-close-continuity/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Napoleon, the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and therefore, not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that-2/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Not only virtue, but also insight, not only sanctity but also wisdom, are the duties and tasks of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/not-only-virtue-but-also-insight-not-only-sanctity-but-also-wisdom/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Everything evil is revenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/everything-evil-is-revenge/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [The fixed stars signify the angel in man. That is why man orients himself by them; and that is why women have no appreciation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/the-fixed-stars-signify-the-angel-in-man-that-is-why-man-orients/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives from them its ideas of its own ideals, but the guiding star serves also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/a-nation-orients-itself-by-its-own-geniuses-and-derives-from-them-its/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) [Explore all 59 Otto Weininger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is almost universally so low that it is beginning to be acknowledged in America that their emancipation was an act of imprudence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Otto Weininger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appeared-amongst-the-negroes-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appeared-amongst-the-negroes-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/otto-weininger-11319_america_a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appea_2589141.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A genius has perhaps scarcely ever appeared amongst the negroes, and the standard of their morality is…” — Otto Weininger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Otto Weininger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A genius has perhaps scarcely ever...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appeared-amongst-the-negroes-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/a-genius-has-perhaps-scarcely-ever-appeared-amongst-the-negroes-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```