civilization, race, and the international order

Question 1

What key turns happen starting from the 1790s to the 1800s?

Answer 1

British government takes control over EIC territories

Question 2

When is the long 19th century?

Answer 2

1789 to 1914

french revo - ww1

Question 3

Some crucial 19th century changes? (4)

Answer 3

1. Switch to direct colonialism (peaks after 1870)
2. Industrial revolution
3. Dominance of GB
4. Rise of racial ideologies

Question 4

When does direct colonialism peak?

Answer 4

1870

Question 5

Definitions of civilization (4)

Answer 5

A stage (most advanced)
A process (most advanced)
The society, culture and way of life of a particular area
Comfort and convenience of modern life

Question 6

Which ideology is the term “civilization” central to?

Answer 6

Liberalism

Question 7

When does the term civilization take off?

Answer 7

19th century

Question 8

2 Core elements to Guizot’s definition of a civilization?

Answer 8

1. Social Level: A condition of social progress (very often conceived in material terms)
2. Individual Level: development of human mind and its faculties

Question 9

What’s the difference between ancient and modern civilizations according to Guizot?

Answer 9

Ancient civilizations were totally homogenous
Modern (Europe) its heterogeneous, there’s variety - this experience of having governments that aren’t able to take over each other will create tolerance and liberty in Europe.
This is what makes European civilization distinct, and modern.

Question 10

Why was Guizot’s definition so popular during the French Revo.?

Answer 10

Managed to reconcile conservatism and liberalism

Question 11

Conservatives’ view on Guizot?

Answer 11

Conservationists favored law and order

Question 12

Liberals’ view on Guizot?

Answer 12

Guizot says that because there have been multiple forms of government that had been at war, that had never managed to dominate each other - this made Europe special
Showed that principles of progress and liberty were fruits of the turbulent history of European civilization.
Progress doesn’t lie in preserving the past.

Question 13

How do liberals twist Guizot’s point?

Answer 13

They drop the term “variety”

They say Europe is homogenous, there’s a European culture that’s responsible for European civilization

Question 14

Which concepts of Guizot are liberals still committed to? What exception do they identify?

Answer 14

Liberals are still committed to principles of national self determination and non-intervention.
One key exception! If you are human beings in the maturity of their faculties. (justifies imperialism)

Question 15

How do liberals define “human beings’ in the maturity of their faculties”?

Answer 15

Using the term “Family of Nations”

Question 16

Family of nations core idea and consequence

Answer 16

There are two societies: part of family, not part

Two sets of rules are applied to those countries.

Question 17

What was the core principle for societies within the family of civilized nations?

Answer 17

Non intervention

Question 18

What was the core principle for “barbaric” societies?

Answer 18

Administer them to help stand by themselves in the conditions of the modern world.

Question 19

What is the standard of civilization? (generally)

Answer 19

An expression of the assumptions used to distinguish those that belong to a particular society from those that don’t

Question 20

The C19 standard of civilization had massive effects…

Answer 20

1. Changes in cultures and civilizations

2. Changes in their patterns of interaction

Question 21

Five rules of the C19 SoC

Answer 21

1. Guarantee basic rights
2. Have an organized political bureaucracy
3. Maintains a domestic system of courts, adheres to international law
4. Avenues for diplomatic interchange
5. Conform to the accepted norms and practices of the civilized international society

Question 22

The SoC was inclusive (Gong)

Answer 22

SoC emerged in order to include non-European societies within the domain of international law

Question 23

The SoC was exclusive (Alexandrowicz)

Answer 23

SoC emerged as international law shrank from a universal into an exclusive Eurocentric system.
British are signing treaties with an Imam that has provisions based on equality

Question 24

Anghie’s key points

Answer 24

Post 1989: belief in one desirable system of government (democracy) and economic organization (free market).
Mission: bring democracy and free market to the whole world. Democratic or undemocratic replaces civilized uncivilized.
This justifies violence although its illegal

Question 25

What’s Anghie’s critique?

Answer 25

Free market capitalism promotes low intensity democracy compatible with mass inequality

Question 26

How much did the C19 SoC have to do with race?

Answer 26

There was a shift from cultural to racial arguments
Based on assumption of cultural superiority as a result of climate etc. (Enlightenment)
1870s: rise of (biological) race-based argument (Gobineau & Darwin)

Question 27

What about slavery during SoC?

Answer 27

They didn’t think race was a politically significant source of difference
However, when slavery became linked exclusively to an ethnic group, it began to lose general legitimacy as an institution after centuries of being widely accepted (complexity)

Question 28

What did Herbert Spencer do?

Answer 28

Applied natural selection to human societies

Question 29

Gobineau’s key argument (3)

Answer 29

1. Race is the only cause of a nation’s character.
2. You are civilized if you can get ppl to be in your influence
3. When you conquer, and people intermarry, your civilization dies.

Question 30

Who are civilized people according to Gobineau?

Answer 30

People who draw their neighbors into a sphere of influence

When you attract people that are a different race, the “civilized core” will eventually decay.

Question 31

How does the shift in racial ideas change settler colonialism?

Answer 31

Settler colonialism was seen as much more positive from the 1870s onwards (vs. dumping ground for poor/criminals). Rise of the “Greater Britain” idea.
Driven by ideas of racial superiority, concerns about the rise of an alienated working class and rise of socialist ideas.
Emergence of racial utopias (1870s-1945) created better societies abroad to improve at home; white supremacy as a way to racially pacify the globe.

Question 32

When was the subsequent defeat of racialism?

Answer 32

The Nazi’s