QA on racism Q 7 When animals of one group don’t include animals from another group, is that racism?

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Q7: When animals of one group don’t include animals from another group, is that racism?

That’s a thoughtful question. Before answering it directly, let’s quickly revisit an earlier point: every atma (soul) has its own personality, and that includes animals. Even within a species, animals have individual traits and temperaments.

You gave a great example — suppose a deer is cast out of one pack and tries to join another. The new group may not accept it. Is that racism? Not quite. It’s not necessarily based on fur color or appearance, and it’s not taught behavior. It’s more likely due to a combination of herd instinct and natural social behavior.

Now, let’s break it down.

Do animals have personality?
Yes, they do. They’re individual souls with their own nature.

Do animals have intelligence and free will?
Yes, but both are more limited than in humans. Animals can learn — we see this when they’re trained as pets or in circuses. Their intelligence and ability to make choices vary by species, but it’s there.

Is their exclusion of outsiders racism?
No. In animals, this behavior is not based on an ideology or a belief in superiority or inferiority. It’s more instinctive — part of how they protect their social structure. There’s no conscious teaching that says, “Our group is better than theirs.” It’s simply: “You’re not one of us, so stay out.” That’s herd behavior, not racism.

Can racism be a form of herd instinct?
In part, yes — racism can start with a kind of herd mentality, where people adopt beliefs just because those around them do. But racism, especially as seen in human history, goes beyond that. It often involves conscious indoctrination — the idea that certain races are inherently superior to others.

For example, one misapplication of Darwin’s theory of evolution was Social Darwinism, now thoroughly debunked. It suggested that just as there is a “survival of the fittest” among species, there is also a struggle among human races — implying that some races are biologically superior. This dangerous idea influenced people like Hitler, who used it to justify horrific actions under the belief that the Aryan race was supreme.

That kind of racism involves ideology, not just instinct. It’s taught, spread, and reinforced using human intelligence and social systems — something we don’t find in animals.

To take this further:
Human behavior is shaped by both inherited and acquired traits. Animals largely act based on inherited instincts; their capacity to learn is limited. But in humans, acquired learning plays a much larger role. Just as an AI model learns patterns through training, humans absorb beliefs and values from society.

So while racial features — such as skin color — are inherited, racism as an ideology is not. It is acquired, a learned way of thinking. In animals, there’s no evidence that they pass down an ideology of group superiority or exclusion through teaching.

In summary:

• Animals may exclude outsiders, but it’s not racism — it’s instinctive behavior.
• Racism in humans involves conscious judgment, teaching, and ideology.
• Human racism reflects acquired behavior, not just biological inheritance.

Thank you.