Q0618
“Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt to touch the other,…” — Frantz Fanon (Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion (Markmann…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion (Markmann / related Eng.). Theme: otherness.
English
Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt to touch the other, to feel the other, to explain the other to myself?
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion (Markmann / related Eng.) and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) was a Martinican psychiatrist and anti-colonial theorist who practiced in Algeria and joined the FLN. Black Skin, White Masks analyzes the psychic effects of antiblack racism; The Wretched of the Earth theorizes decolonization, violence, and national culture.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, humanity.
Concepts in this quote
- Otherness
- Otherness appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat otherness as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Humanity
- Humanity names both the species and the moral quality of being humane—bridging anthropology and ethics.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Frantz Fanon. (n.d.). Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt to touch the other, to feel the other, to explain the other to myself? In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0618
MLA: Frantz Fanon. “Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0618.
Chicago: Frantz Fanon. “Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0618.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Superiority? Inferiority? Why not the quite simple attempt…”?
The passage is attributed to Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion (Markmann / related Eng.). The archive attributes this English wording to Black Skin, White Masks, conclusion (Markmann / related Eng.) and files it under Africana Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Frantz Fanon mean by otherness?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Frantz Fanon and Kwame Anthony Appiah), otherness is framed through Africana Philosophy and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define otherness; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through otherness, humanity.