"Being a white man, in short, was a very concrete manner of being-in-the-world, a way of taking hold of reality, language and thought."

What does the theorist signify by the term 'white man' here?

Correct option is D

Explanation:

The correct answer is (d).

In this context, the term "white man" signifies a form of colonial authority. The phrase points to the way white colonialists were able to define and impose their version of reality, language, and thought upon the colonized peoples. This reflects the colonial mindset and the role of white men in enforcing colonial control through systems of power, authority, and domination over other cultures and societies. The "white man" here is a metaphor for the colonizer, embodying the authority, superiority, and control characteristic of colonial rule.

Information Booster:
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This quotation is likely related to post-colonial theory, particularly drawing on thinkers like Frantz Fanon and Edward Said, who explored the impact of colonialism on identity and culture.

Frantz Fanon's works, such as Black Skin, White Masks, discuss the psychological effects of colonization, where the colonizer (the "white man") establishes their dominance over the colonized people.

This idea falls under post-colonial theory and critical theory, where scholars analyze the cultural, psychological, and social dynamics of colonization.

The "white man" refers to the colonizer's authority and the internalization of colonial control.

The idea highlights how colonizers not only exert power over the colonized physically, but also define the terms of reality, knowledge, language, and thought, solidifying their colonial authority.

This reflects the broader argument of how colonialism shaped cultures and identities.

This understanding is central to post-colonial studies, where theorists like Homi K. Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak, and Edward Said have examined how the colonizer and colonized maintain a complex relationship of power, oppression, and identity formation.