Imperial sceptics
Subtitle: British critics of empire, 1850-1920
By: Gregory Claeys.
Series: Ideas in context -- 97
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 333
ISBN-13: 9780521199544
Subjects: Anti-imperialist movements -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century; Anti-imperialist movements -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
Description: "Imperial Sceptics provides a highly original analysis of the emergence of opposition to the British Empire from 1850-1920. Departing from existing accounts, which have focused upon the Boer War and the writings of John Hobson, Gregory Claeys proposes a new chronology for the contours of resistance to imperial expansion. Claeys locates the impetus for such opposition in the late 1850s with the British followers of Auguste Comte. Tracing critical strands of anti-imperial thought through to the First World War, Claeys then scrutinises the full spectrum of socialist writings from the early 1880s onwards, revealing a fundamental division over whether a new conception of 'socialist imperialism' could appeal to the electorate and satisfy economic demands. Based upon extensive archival research, and utilising rare printed sources, Imperial Sceptics will prove a major contribution to our understanding of nineteenth-century political thought, shedding new light on theories of nationalism, patriotism, the state and religion"--Provided by publisher.

"This book focuses on the development of three issues in late nineteenth century Britain: the emergence of explanations of the origin of the British empire; justifications for its continuation;"--Provided by publisher.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Introduction: audi alteram partem: imperialism and the moral imagination; 1. Positivist diplomacy; 2. Socialism and empire: from Little England to Socialist Commonwealth 1850-1920; 3. Contextualising Hobson: civilisation, utility and socialist imperialism; Conclusion: the fruits of imperial scepticism.