Nationality and Race from an Anthropologist's Point of View Being the Robert Boyle lecture delivered before the Oxford university junior scientific club on November 17, 1919

In the seventeenth‑century world that Robert Boyle watched unfold, distant peoples were first glimpsed by English traders, sailors, and settlers. The author traces how early explorers recorded geography, resources and climate while largely ignoring the human beings they encountered, reflecting a mindset that saw the spread of the Bible as the sole “duty” to native populations. By weaving Boyle’s own notes with broader colonial narratives, the opening chapters paint a vivid picture of an empire beginning to stretch from Newfoundland to Florida and reaching into India, Africa and the Far East.

Shifting to the modern era, the book examines how those early blind spots have grown into complex racial and national tensions. It explores the rise of propaganda, the press, and new forms of state power that shape collective identities, arguing that a deeper anthropological understanding is essential for navigating today’s global landscape. The work invites listeners to reconsider the forces that bind and divide humanity, offering a thoughtful bridge between history and contemporary thought.