The Empire of Civilization
The Evolution of an Imperial Idea
The Empire of Civilization
The Evolution of an Imperial Idea
The term “civilization” comes with considerable baggage, dichotomizing people, cultures, and histories as “civilized”—or not. While the idea of civilization has been deployed throughout history to justify all manner of interventions and sociopolitical engineering, few scholars have stopped to consider what the concept actually means. Here, Brett Bowden examines how the idea of civilization has informed our thinking about international relations over the course of ten centuries.
From the Crusades to the colonial era to the global war on terror, this sweeping volume exposes “civilization” as a stage-managed account of history that legitimizes imperialism, uniformity, and conformity to Western standards, culminating in a liberal-democratic global order. Along the way, Bowden explores the variety of confrontations and conquests—as well as those peoples and places excluded or swept aside—undertaken in the name of civilization. Concluding that the “West and the rest” have more commonalities than differences,this provocative and engaging bookultimately points the way toward an authentic intercivilizational dialogue that emphasizes cooperation over clashes.
320 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2009
History: General History
Political Science: Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and International Relations
Reviews
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
A Note on Spelling
1 Introduction: Guizot’s Question: Universal Civilization?
Part One: Civilization, Progress, and History: Universals All?
2 The Ideal of Civilization: Its Origins, Meanings, and Implications
3 Civilization and the Idea of Progress
4 The Notion of Universal Civilization: One End for All?
Part Two: The Art and Science of Empire
5 The Expansion of Europe and the Classical Standard of Civilization
6 The Burden of Civilization and the “Art and Science of Colonization”
Part Three: New Barbarism, Old Civilization, Revived Imperialism
7 New Barbarism and the Test of Modernity
8 The “New Realities” of Imperialism
9 Conclusion: The Future of Intercivilizational Relations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Awards
Australian Political Studies Association: Crisp Prize
Won
Norbert Elias Foundation: Norbert Elias Prize
Won
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