[July 9, 2023] In his book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, published just this year, Professor Nigel Biggar presents a strong case that our present understanding of colonialism has little grounding in fact. Using the BritishEmpires’ system, he shows, contrary to popular belief, that British colonialism was a strong force that marshaled itself against slavery, racism, and other “sins” often attributed to it.
With Biggar’s message that our thinking about colonialism is oversimplified and misguidedly biased, we can find several articles discussing this topic. One of them I found helpful and titled “50 Pros and Cons of Colonialism” (link here at Abilison). More recent discussions about Professor Biggar’s arguments do precisely what he says, have a knee-jerk anti-colonialism bias, and attempt to shut down any discussion of its benefits or at least weigh in on the good and the bad.
Taken directly from the YouTube video of Nigel Biggar being interviewed by John Anderson, we can now more clearly see (below) the good and the bad. Anyone saying there is no “good” in colonialism is not intellectually honest. There are goods. The moral question here is whether the good outweighs the bad. Our present Western philosophy seems to put the balance heavily on the side of colonialism being wrong.
Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning by Nigel Biggar, May 2023 |
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Harms of Colonialism |
Benefits of Colonialism |
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1. Brutal Slavery |
1. Renounced Slavery |
10. Attracted Foreign Investment |
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2. Epidemic Spread of Diseases |
2. Suppressed Slavery Worldwide |
11. Established Political Stability |
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3. Economic/Social Disruption |
3. Moderated Modernity |
12. Established the Rule of Law |
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4. Displacement of Natives |
4. Promoted Free Markets |
13. Fostered Modern Agriculture |
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5. Racist Contempt and Alienation |
5. Promoted Regional Peace |
14. Disseminated Modern Medicine |
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6. Cultural Suppression |
6. Integrated Native Governance |
15. Defeated Nazism |
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7. Miscarriages of Justice |
7. Fought Poverty |
16. Stood for International Law |
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8. Disproportionate Use of Military |
8. Provided a Civil Service |
17. Established Liberal Democracy |
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9. Civil Service Inequity |
9. Develop Public Infrastructure |
18. Inspired the Commonwealth |
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“[The British Empire’s] Colonial government never sought to perfect genocide, and on the contrary, the Colonial government strove to moderate the impact of settlers on natives, particularly in the 1800s after they had been this kind of moral revolution in England and again Evangelical Christianity was a major force here and attempted to restrain violence.” – Nigel Biggar conversation with John Anderson, June 30, 2023
Professor Biggar does an excellent job of dissuading us from the idea that the British Empire was nothing but a “litany of racism and economic exploitation and wanton violence.” Indeed, the Empire was all those things, but it was also the opposite. As he states in his interview, the book aims to tell the British, Canadians, Aussies, and New Zealanders the “whole truth” about their colonial past, not just the “politically partisan story” we often hear.
Nigel Biggar attacks the hyper-oversimplistic and chronically misleading notion that Britain equals Empire equals evil. Professor Biggar makes convincing arguments that deserve a close listen to learn more about our past. Listen to the podcast (link here) or get a copy of his book (link here).
The publisher wanted him to walk away from his contract to write the book because “public feeling would be unfavorable.” Fortunately, he found another publisher.
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NOTE: Nigel John Biggar CBE is Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, author, Anglican priest, and theologian. He also directs the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life at Oxford, which aims to foster a conversation between Christian theology and other disciplines.
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Very interesting. Made me think.
Thankyou, Gen. Satterfield for giving us something to think about on colonialism. I agree, we have too often a knee-jerk reaction to events in the past and those reactions are often based on fiction.
Yes, that bias is often getting us into trouble or at least pushes us to miss major lessons from history we could have learned from. Instead we are sitting with the college snowflakes and don’t even realize it.
Now this is, indeed, something to give thought to.
Thanks Gen. Satterfield for highlighting this book, “Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning.”
This is one of the main reasons I keep coming back to Gen. Satterfield’s website. He is always giving us something important to think about. Here is my rhetorical question, “Why would colonialism last so long if it was not in many ways beneficial to so many?” The answer is rather self-evident. Colonialism, even with its problems, was good in more ways than we can imagine today. Even evil systems have some usefulness in them. That is not excuse for crushing those systems, but we should at least acknowledge their worth and try to capture the good into what we do today.
Good points, False Idols. Thanks!!!!! ❤
… a reckoning ….. let us not forget that either.
Liz, correct, like all human-created social systems, they are built over a long period of time, and have advantages for those that survive. Tearing them down is a bad idea because ” you throw the baby out with the bathwater.” So, my comment is that the crazy Progressives should be very careful in what they recommend by taking down the capitalistic system and having no replacement that has ever been tried with itself being horrid.
It’s Sunday, go to church and listen to what the Priest/Reverend/Preacher has to say. And remember what Gen. Satterfield wrote in his book “55 Rules for a Good Life” and see how much of these parallel one another. It is not that his book is religious, not at all, it is practical. but like all successful strategies in life, they are based on Biblical teachings.
Yep, nailed it Max. Once again, you hit the nail on the head with your comments. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Wow, different thinking. Anytime Gen. Satterfield makes me think, is a good day.
Excellent ideas to think about. But I’m sure leftist heads are exploding because any “good” from any Western action is E V I L.
Right, Doug. They are possessed by their secular religion, which BTW, is always evolving and demands total conformity. They are held up by their own mental chains and yet cannot see what they are doing. And, if they can see it, they look away and deny. Typical leftist, marxist, progressive method of control.
Yes and funny how that works. Why can’t they see it?
It’s not that the Marxist-P:rogressive nutjob is stupid, not that at all. It is they have rejected true religion and replaced it with a made up secular style religion based on nothing but whims. And even if they cold acknowledge it, they would not change.
These are the kind of kids who didn’t get beat up as a kid when it was needed. 😎
Sometimes, it just takes a good ass wuppin’ to wake folks up.