Democracy and Empire in Modern Political Thought

Module Title: Democracy and Empire in Modern Political Thought  

Module Leader: Dr Benjamin R. Y. Tan 

Overview:  

Since democracy’s demise in ancient Athens, only in the last two centuries has it been understood as a real and legitimate political option. During this time, democracy has become widely invoked as a central—if not the central—concept of politics. This history is also, inescapably, one of empire. The first modern societies to be described as democracies were typically large imperial states or their settler colonies. The practice of writing about democracy often occurred within the context of, and in support of, such imperial projects. Actors seeking to resist imperial power have also marshalled and modified the concept of democracy to do so.

This module investigates some of the ways in which modern democratic thought has been entangled with empire, with a focus on Britain and its colonies including the United States. It covers a crucial period: roughly the century following 1830, during which ‘democracy’, once widely used as a pejorative, emerged as a key criterion for political legitimacy claimed by both western and non-western thinkers alike. Each session involves a close reading of historical texts from this period, sometimes alongside works of contemporary political theory. We will examine how past thinkers theorised the relationship between democracy and empire, and explore how we ought to think about this relationship in and for the present. Why are democracy and empire understood to be antithetical concepts now, when many earlier thinkers argued that they were compatible and even complimentary? Are democracy’s ties to empire necessary or contingent? What might the imperial entanglements of western democracy tell us, if anything, about democratic theory and practice today? As the module proceeds, we will encounter specific questions thrown up by the imperial history of democracy, including those of migration, sovereignty, indigeneity, race, global capitalism, and post-colonial founding.

This module does not require a background in history or political theory. It aims to familiarise students with the study of conceptual change in history; the contextual and critical reading of political arguments; and the uses and significance of historical texts in contemporary political theory.