Critics of Imperialism 1. J. A. Hobson (1858–1940) 2. Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) 3. Other Criticisms

J. A. Hobson 1902

John Atkinson Hobson strong opponent of the Boer War, Hobson condemned it as a "conflict orchestrated by and fought for the preservation of finance capitalism at the expense of the working class." English economist and critic of imperialism His focus was on industrial capitalism as the driving force of imperialism In his book, Imperialism, Hobson argued that imperial expansion was driven by a search for new markets and opportunities for investment overseas

Hobson Condemned white imperialist rule over non-whites Said double standard existed: Europeans fought for representative gov’t and liberties, but didn’t extend it to their colonies!

Joseph Conrad 1899

Conrad & the Heart of Darkness J oseph Conrad did not begin to learn English until he was twenty-one years old. Was born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski on Dec. 3, 1857, in the Polish Ukraine. Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English even though he didn’t speak English as indicated above. Imperialism is at the center of Heart of Darkness. Heart of Darkness was one of the first literary texts to provide a critical view of European imperial activities Conrad’s decision to set the book in a Belgian colony and to have Marlow work for a Belgian trading concern made it even easier for British readers to avoid seeing themselves reflected in Heart of Darkness. Although these early reactions seem ludicrous to a modern reader, they reinforce the novella’s central themes of hypocrisy and absurdity.

Conrad Castigated the “pure selfishness” of Europeans in “civilizing” Africa; the main character, once a liberal scholar, turns into a savage brute

Other Criticism’s Europeans were winning liberal freedoms at home (representative government, civil liberties, equality of opportunity), but imposing the opposite on their colonies (military dictatorships, forced labor, discrimination).