Introduction
That ancient question echoing through the deep corridors of time moves within the human mind like a shadow play: By what rightful justification can one person be deemed superior to another? This inquiry, since the very first moments when the fires of civilization were kindled, has sprouted in the collective dreams of tribes, embarking on a journey stretching from the temples of god-kings to the cold light of modern laboratories. In the claims of sacred blood by pharaohs, in the othering of peoples whom Rome called “barbarians,” or in today’s tests where intelligence is reduced to numerical values, we always encounter the same fundamental drive. In this endless quest, humanity has used the concept of superiority sometimes to create terrible divisions and sometimes as an expression of its effort to transcend its own limits.
At the heart of this inquiry lies the complex structure of the human mind and the need for social order. Our drive to categorize and make sense of things naturally steers us toward creating hierarchies. Yet history has shown countless times how fragile and changeable these hierarchies are. The concept of superiority emerges not as a fixed reality but as a dynamic structure shaped by power relations and cultural context. Qualities considered the highest virtues in one era can lose their meaning in another. This suggests that claims of superiority are based not on an objective foundation but on subjective and contextual evaluations.
This article examines the concept of superiority through a journey from the deep layers of history to the discoveries of genetic science. Our core argument is that a biological or innate hierarchy of superiority lacks a scientific basis. On the contrary, superiority is largely a social construct held in the hands of power. The true wealth of humanity lies hidden within our differences. This diversity, beyond the dilemma of superiority and inferiority, is a shared heritage to be celebrated.
Superiority in the Mirror of History
Historical processes are filled with countless examples of how claims of superiority are established and collapse. In Ancient Greece, the ideal of the free and rational individual of the city-states was shaped by the assumption that foreign tribes seen as “barbarians” lacked these virtues. In his work Politics, Aristotle defended an innate hierarchy by claiming that some people were naturally suited to be slaves. This thought deeply influenced not only Greek society but also subsequent centuries of Western philosophy. The Roman Empire, under the mission of bringing law and civilization, positioned the peoples across its vast territories within a rigid hierarchy.
By the Middle Ages, the concept of superiority was grounded in religious and noble foundations. The absolute authority of the Church created a spiritual hierarchy, while the feudal system legitimized a social pyramid based on bloodline. For instance, after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Normans who conquered England saw themselves as culturally and militarily superior to the native Anglo-Saxon people.
By the time we reach the 19th century, the idea of superiority donned a…