This work was the first modern attempt to prove that race is the primary force determining world events and history. Working with the limited scientific data available at the time of writing (1853), Arthur de Gobineau divided humans into three major groupings, white, yellow and black. He argues that the cause of the downfall of civilizations is always racial mixing, and that every civilization has either been directly controlled by what he called "Aryans" or has had a significant Aryan element mixed in it. He also argues that climate and environment have no bearing on racial characteristics. This book was a cornerstone work for 20th century racial theory, and is of immense importance for this reason alone. This new edition has been completely reset and contains all the original text.