Index Cards: An Enlightenment Legacy and Its Dark Side

This article traces the origins of the index card, revealing it as more than a simple office supply. Closely tied to Enlightenment figure Carl Linnaeus, the index card was invented to manage the information overload of his botanical work, significantly impacting modern taxonomy and information management. However, the index card's application was far from neutral; it played a role in racism and political persecution. The FBI and Nazi regime used index cards to create databases categorizing and surveilling specific populations. The article explores the objectivity of information organization and the relationship between power and technology.