The Origins of Racism: The Critical Theory of Oliver C. Cox

Abstract

Oliver C. Cox's theory of race relations and its impending problems in connection with the rise of capitalism have not been applied or addressed to the same extent as that of his contemporaries. Why does the work of Oliver Cox continue to be largely ignored and set aside? We will first look at Cox's hypothesis and some of the concepts he uses, his argument regarding the genesis of racism, and his criticisms of some of his better known contemporaries that may well have contributed to the bitter relationships he encountered.