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Colonialism Vs Imperialism

Decent Essays

Enlightenment ideas paved the way for imperialism. Humans were thought to be ultimately good and that their actions led only to improvement. Imperialism was viewed as the gate that would improve the savage ways of inferior nations. Writers at the time of the nineteenth and twentieth century had contradictory ideas; Rudyard Kipling and Jules Ferry had similar views that it was their right as the superior race to improve the lives of indigenous and native people, while Anna Manning Comfort argues that a country must first resolve the problems within before they try to help others. J. A. Hobson’s argument ties in with Comfort’s that a country should stay within boundaries because, otherwise, they are invading a foreign land and exploiting its people. Comfort and Kipling both address the white man’s burden, but what their works truly reveal is the different mindsets of the time.
The Darwinism ideas that were incorporated into imperialism is the intrinsic belief that the white race is superior, therefore, they carry the burden of helping the inferior races. In Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden, imperialism is exalted because it is viewed as a solution that can improve the life of local people in undeveloped countries. “Send forth the best ye breed .” Kipling is urging white men to help the Filipinos referring to them as “On fluttered folk and wild .” Kipling’s argument supports imperialism because he describes how the white race is the only ones capable of civilizing

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