"On Atavism: Considerations on Practical Philosophy"
Not having found any scientific proof to support the ideas of subordination that they were advocating, the negrophobes set about annihilating the effectiveness of our efforts and slowing, as much as possible, the progress of Black evolution, by propagating and exaggerating the effects of the gruesome theory of atavism.
Atavism, as everyone knows, is that curious ethnological phenomenon whereby individuals of a race inherit certain qualities or certain defects that characterize, not always their direct progenitors, but their ancestors from a more or less distant generation.
There is no weapon that our enemies have used more often. Knowing that nothing is more mortal for energy than the sentiment of our weakness, of our impotence, in the presence of forces of which the inevitable action cannot be vanquished, they speak endlessly of fatalities that would annihilate all the efforts of our own activity. Whatever we do, they insist, water effort we put in to escape from it, we will always have the mark of our native inferiority, and never will Black people achieve the highest degree of intellectual and moral development of whites.
Just a few months ago I had the honour of writing in the Evènement to combat that thesis sustained by Mr. Charles Canivet (Jean de Nivelles) of the Soleil. I can do no better than to repeat this argument here, especially since Mr. Charles Canivet, who clearly hates the Black race, has renewed his in just and cruel attacks in a recent article, based on the conclusions of the same doctrine.
"Psychological heredity," said I,
which is nothing less than scientifically established in an absolute manner, confirms the common origin of all human societies—whatever race they may be. A wise thinker may see, in certain fearsome crimes that are sometimes committed in the midst of a civilized world, a remnant of the barbarity of the ancient races of Europe. And one would be left to wonder with dread what amount of cruelty would horrify the Western world, if so many centuries of civilization have not been able to completely erase the trace?
Surely, man, in coming into the world, cannot be considered a blank slate on which education has only to deposit its imprint. Each one of us, indeed, has roots that go back generations; he has in himself, with the blood of his race, instincts, passions, virtues and vices.
But, happily for humanity, the effects of atavism can be averted, and a long series of cerebral transformations ends up vanquishing psychological heredity. Every individual, opposing the action of personal effort to that of acquired habits, can effectively react against his natural dispositions. New efforts, joined with earlier ones, manage to bring about a contrary tendency, whose effects combat those of heredity. From this, it is evident that the sum of the continuous efforts of several successive generations will have, after a more or less considerable amount of time, quite a powerful effect on extirpating a vice or generating a particular virtue within a race.
The great criticism we can lodge against this theory of atavism is that, taken to its extreme, it is eminently suitable to break in the individual and in society the motivation for all improvement and all progress.
It is not consistent with the facts to insist that one cannot escape the tyranny of one's organism. The history of civilization establishes convincing proof to contrary.
For us, Haitians, descendants of Africa, take it upon ourselves to print to exaggeration, in the spirit of the new generation, this idea that a general and consistent effort, proceeding from a profound faith in human liberty, can vanquish heredity.
One is as free as one believes oneself to be, and it is precisely this affirmation that we are proclaiming. This is a philosophical as well as a religious dogma, since religion tells us that grace will not be refuse to anyone who has earned it by effort.
So let's reject these irritating ideas in which modern thought wallows! May we look to some examples—beneficial examples!—may we commit ourselves to persuading ourselves that each of us is the principal artisan of his destiny, whatever he may have done; and let us borrow from Rousseau, this encouraging affirmation: "Our weakness results only from the tepidity of our will, and we will always have the strength to do what we strongly want."
Amid the innumerable miseries that our society suffers, let us ope our eyes and see the immense task that we are called to, that demand all of our energy. Let us shake off the torpor that seems to paralyze us; let us exercise our activity effectively to improve our material situation, extend our intelligence, perfect our soul, and also to contribute to improving the lot of others. This constant concern of the best for themselves and for others is not, in effect, anything more than the practical sentiment of the ideal, which must animate our hearts, while at the same time our reason must protect us against impatience and chimeras.
Benito Sylvain
Paris, 30 August 1890