Pražské Egyptologické Studie (Jun 2016)
Odvrácená tvář otce egyptské archeologie William Matthew Flinders Petrie a eugenická věda // The Dark Side of the Father of Egyptian Archaeology William Matthew Flinders Petrie and Eugenic Science
Abstract
The text aims to bring attention of the Czech readers to Petrie's contributions to the eugenics movement in Great Britain. It describes his close association with Francis Galton and his resulting pronounced views on eugenics and shows how Petrie's racist opinions and involvement in eugenics influenced hi s work as an archaeologist and historian. An attempt is made to understand Petrie's views in the context ofhis times instead of condemning him for hi s appalling conclusions motivated by his racism and eugenics beliefs. The text offers a perspective which enables the readers to consider Petrie's thoughts in relation to the eugenic movement which was not on ly favoured by many ofhis contemporaries, but also had many supporters Jong after Petrie's death. Any consideration of the influence of past ideologies and context on Petrie's thinking and research also brings forward an unanswerable question ofhow much each one of u s is influenced by the ideologies and the context(s) prevalent in present times and culture.
