Race Relations Oliver C. Cox was one of the earliest writers to analyze the race relations. His texts approach race through a Marxist point of view. In this essay, “Race Relations its meaning, beginning and progress”, investigates the reason behind the beginning of racism. By using a Marxist philosophy, Cox first goes on to state the history of racism and then the fact that capitalization just strengthened it. This essay discusses the reason for persistence of race in white dominated societies. Race, according to Cox, is not a “social instinct” of antipathy between people. He explains that racism is not an inherent social attitude between people or groups because of its non existence before late fifteenth century. He states that the only reason colored people experience racism now is due to their exploitation during the capitalization in the past. He then merely proves his point that the reason Racism is encountered in western societies is because west exploited the cheap labor from other continents, especially Africa for the purpose of exploiting natural resources of the colonies.
Therefore, in light of Cox’s explanation, racism is not based on color, but has its origins in labor exploitation due to capitalism. It is safe to assume, based on the essay that racism stemmed from slave trade, which was a direct result of Capitalism. Capitalism is an economic and social system in which most trade, industry and the means of production (capital) is privately controlled and operated for a profit. Therefore, to gain profit very cheap labor was required. The cheapest labor was found in shape of Slavery and hence the need for Slave trade from different parts of the world. The slave trade was “simply a way of recruiting labor” which was cheap. The slaves were not chosen based on their color, but they were chosen because they were the “best