The Intellectual History of Imperialism

Catalog description

What is an empire? What does an empire do? What is the difference between imperialism and colonialism? How have historical actors as well as historians between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries answered these questions? This seminar considers the long history of intellectual debate over imperialism and its relationship with state formation, capitalism, labor, subjecthood, and the environment. We will read proponents of imperial expansion, advocates of imperial reform, and fierce critics of imperialism. Readings will include canonical texts authored by major historical figures such as John Locke and Vladimir Lenin as well as pamphlets and legislative debates that document the everyday practice of imperialism. In engaging with such primary sources, we will consider how rival visions of imperialism shaped ideological traditions as diverse as liberalism, fascism, conservatism, and communism.