Editing Arthur de Gobineau (section)

===Gobineau's racial theories===

In his own lifetime, Gobineau was known as a novelist, a poet and for his travel writing recounting his adventures in Iran and Brazil rather than for the racial theories for which he is now mostly remembered.{{sfn|Blue|1999|p=98}} However, he always regarded his book ''Essai sur l'inégalité des races humaines'' (''[[An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races]]'') as his masterpiece and wanted to be remembered as its author.{{sfn|Blue|1999|p=98}} A firm reactionary who believed in the innate superiority of aristocrats over commoners—whom he held in utter contempt—Gobineau embraced the now-discredited doctrine of [[scientific racism]] to justify aristocratic rule over racially inferior commoners.{{sfn|Blue|1999|p=99}}