User:Manuela.Irarraz/sandbox/Approaches to Knowledge/ Seminar Group 8/Imperialism

Imperialism

One can broadly define imperialism as the imposition of power, authority or influence from an authority.

Imperialism in its authoritarian ways has not only changed the course of history, countries, and nations alike but has also shaped our cultural process as well as our approach to knowledge. Indeed, the trace of imperialism can be found throughout our daily and academic lives, it's heritage trickling down even today in our educational processes. Scholar subjects such as anthropology and history keep a certain ethnocentric perspective, allowing for the proliferation of hierarchy of knowledge. By being ever so present in the way we learn about the world this heritage forces a bias upon our judgment and limits the scope it reaches.

Not only does this contribute to the limitation of our own knowledge but the hierarchisation of these various forms of knowledge means that some will be viewed under positive light whereas others, will be shunned and noted for their difference. In doing so, we participate in the deletion of certain cultural aspects and traditions, leading to a homogenization of 'knowledge'.

Etymology and Usage

Imperialism's root word, imperial, originated from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French word emperial, which means of superior quality, and relating or belonging to the Roman Empire. . Its original form came from the Latin word imperialis, which means 'of the emperor'. Tracing it back further, it is derived from the words 'impero', meaning 'command' or 'order' and the suffix -alis. The term imperialism originated in the mid-19th century. It dates back to 1858, but its roots can be traced back to Dante's De Monarchia (early 14th Century), where he depicted a world with a single political focus. Although the word is traditionally used in political or military contexts, today it can be used in several other contexts, such as cultural imperialism and economic imperialism.. In the context of knowledge and interdisciplinarity, several types of imperialism are explored, notably academic imperialism and scientific imperialism.

Different domains of imperialism

Academic Imperialism

Academic imperialism in the context of academic disciplines can be defined as the tendency to dismiss alternative theories, perspectives or methodologies by intellectuals and scholars. . It is also commonly used to describe the domination of Western thought and education on other parts of the world, and the belief that knowledge and education from the First World is superior.

Cultural Imperialism

According to Claude Levis-Strauss ethnocentrism is the mental attitude of taking one's own culture for the norm and judging other cultures according to it. It is therefore a prejudice that prevents one from understanding a foreign culture with objectivity. Therefore, when confronted to ethnocentrism one will take their own culture for the norm and will unconsciously establish a form of hierarchy between cultures. Hence, ethnocentrism often leads to considering a foreign culture of "barbare" and uncivilised.

Political Imperialism

Realism- Morgenthau

Hans .J. Morgenthau in Politics among nations argues that "international politics is like all politics, it is a struggle for power"[...]"whatever the ultimate aims of international politics, power is always the immediate aim". He argues that human nature obliges men to to in the search for power relentlessly and will seize any opportunity to increase their power. States wanting to increase their power use imperialism.

Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli by Santi di Tito

Liberalism- Machiavelli

Machiavelli argues that republics are the best form of state that exist for imperial expansion. According to Michael W. Doyle in Liberalism and world politics, "Strength, and then imperial expansion, results from the way liberty encourages increased population and property, which grow when the citizens know their lives and goods are secure from arbitrary seizure. Free citizens equip large armies and provide soldiers who fight for public glory and the common good because these are, in fact, their own." Hence, imperial expansion calls for a free republic. Finally Machiavelli acknowledges that states feeling threatened by states that act like their own have a tendency to resort to liberal imperialism.

Scientific Imperialism

Definition

Scientific imperialism is understood today as a type of interdisciplinary relation where one scientific discipline infiltrates another discipline, or several other disciplines. However, philosophers may have different definitions of scientific imperialism, for example philosopher John Dupré views scientific imperialism as the tendency to push a good scientific idea beyond its original domain or discipline, and pushing it far beyond its original domain to the extent where it cannot provide as much illumination. Steven Clarke and Adrian Walsh define scientific imperialism as "the illegitimate occupation by one discipline of another discipline’s territory".

New Imperialism

English imperialism octopus

The New Imperialism era (c. 1870-1914) represented an age where the Great Powers of Europe ceased their previous disinterest in overseas colonies and partitioned the majority of the remaining uncolonized area of the world.

Imperialism in Medicine

When countries were colonised many of the traditional medicines that had been developed over hundreds of years were discarded and considered 'unscientific'. Through denying the same level of governmental support and funding to the research and development of these traditional medicines those medicines fell out of public use and lost the high position they once held in public opinion. Plant-based medicines were disregarded in favour of synthetic medicines, even though for generations plant-based medications have been tested on humans to success in these areas. This can also be seen in many other areas such as animal husbandry, weather forecasting, and agriculture.