Celtic Continuity: People

Abstract

It will be clear by now that the notion of a finite, biologically defined and biologically self-reproducing population as the basis of an ethnic group is largely fictional. Before looking further into this, we can recall earlier thought on the subject. The nineteenth century was the great period of the formulation of racial theories in Europe. Theories about the nature of human races were not always coherent or consistent, but there was a general tendency to regard human races as the same kind of entity as biological species. Such a species is definable in one simple respect — it reproduces itself, and does not cross with other species. Today’s fox population is descended from that of a thousand years ago. If there are more foxes today than there were then, this is a reproductive success, a population growth. If the foxes of today inhabit places that mediaeval foxes did not inhabit, then migration has occurred.