Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- Part I 1760–1914
- 2 Eurocentric imperialism
- 3 Eurocentric anti-imperialism
- 4 Racist anti-imperialism
- 5 Racist imperialism
- Part II 1914–1945 The high tide of manifest Eurocentrism and the climax of scientific racism
- Part III 1945–1989 Subliminal Eurocentrism in international theory
- Part IV 1989–2010 Back to the future of manifest ‘Eurocentrism’ in mainstream international theory
- Part V Conclusion Mapping the promiscuous architecture of Eurocentrism in international theory, 1760–2010
- References
- Index
3 - Eurocentric anti-imperialism
liberalism, c. 1760–1800
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- Part I 1760–1914
- 2 Eurocentric imperialism
- 3 Eurocentric anti-imperialism
- 4 Racist anti-imperialism
- 5 Racist imperialism
- Part II 1914–1945 The high tide of manifest Eurocentrism and the climax of scientific racism
- Part III 1945–1989 Subliminal Eurocentrism in international theory
- Part IV 1989–2010 Back to the future of manifest ‘Eurocentrism’ in mainstream international theory
- Part V Conclusion Mapping the promiscuous architecture of Eurocentrism in international theory, 1760–2010
- References
- Index
Summary
Introduction: constructing an idealized European conception of world politics
If the last chapter conformed to the postcolonial critique of both classical liberalism and Marxism by revealing their imperialist face, this chapter takes us into anti-imperialist territory that is unchartered by postcolonialism. Here I focus on the two key pioneers of classical liberal internationalism: Adam Smith (1723–90) and Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). As noted in the last chapter, the conventional IR reading views these original liberal internationalists as standing for an anti-imperialist politics that is wrapped up in liberal cosmopolitanism and a cultural pluralist tolerance of non-European societies. However, while in the last few decades a number of postcolonial-inspired writers have argued that classical liberalism is Eurocentric and inherently imperialist, the traditional conventional reading has been rescued most recently by two political theorists – Sankar Muthu (2003) and Jennifer Pitts (2005). They argue that many Enlightenment thinkers – including Burke, Diderot, but especially Smith and Kant – were anti-imperialist cultural pluralists after all, exhibiting sympathy and tolerance for non-European societies.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Eurocentric Conception of World PoliticsWestern International Theory, 1760–2010, pp. 59 - 83Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012