Kant’s Concept of Race and Ludwig Emil Cichorius’ Contribution to the Conversations-Lexikon

Abstract Despite his academic position and contributions to one of the most respected German encyclopedias, Ludwig Emil Cichorius (1770–1829) remains an unknown figure in German intellectual history. This article explores Cichorius’ publications on the topic of race, highlighting Kant’s influence on 19th-century thought through Cichorius’ contributions to the Conversations-Lexikon of Renatus Gotthelf Löbel (1767–1799), Christian Wilhelm Franke (1765–1831), and Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus (1772–1823). These contributions to the lexicon included distinct entries on the “races of human beings” and “races of animals,” where he engaged with Kantian ideas. He underscored the significance of unfailingly inherited traits over superficial characteristics in classifying races.