Colonial Capitalism and the Dilemmas of Liberalism

This book analyzes the relationship between liberalism and empire from the perspective of political economy. It investigates the formative impact of “colonial capitalism” on the historical development of British liberal thought between the late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries. It argues that liberalism as a political language developed through early modern debates over the contested meanings of property, exchange, and labor, which it examines respectively in the context of colonial land appropriations in the Americas, militarized trading in South Asia, and state-led proletarianization in Australasia. The book contends that the British Empire could be extolled as the “empire of liberty”—that is, the avatar of private property, free trade, and free labor—only on the condition that its colonial expropriation, extraction, and exploitation were “disavowed” and dissociated from the increasingly liberal conception of its capitalist economy. It identifies exemplary strategies of disavowal in the works of John Locke, Edmund Burke, and Edward G. Wakefield, who, as three liberal intellectuals of empire, attempted to navigate the ideological tensions between the liberal self-image of Britain and the violence that shaped its imperial economy. Challenging the prevalent tendency to study liberalism and empire around an abstract politics of universalism and colonial difference, the book discloses the ideological contradictions internal to Britain’s imperial economy and their critical influence on the formation of liberalism. It concludes that the disavowal of the violence constitutive of capitalist relations in the colonies has been crucial for crafting a liberal image for Anglophone imperialism and more generally for global capitalism. By The Mid-nineteenth Century, Britain Celebrated Its Possession Of A Unique Empire Of Liberty That Propagated The Rule Of Private Property, Free Trade, And Free Labor Across The Globe. The British Also Knew That Their Empire Had Been Built By Conquering Overseas Territories, Trading Slaves, And Extorting Tribute From Other Societies. Set In The Context Of The Early-modern British Empire, Colonial Capitalism And The Dilemmas Of Liberalism Paints A Striking Picture Of These Tensions Between The Illiberal Origins Of Capitalism And Its Liberal Imaginations In Metropolitan Thought. Onur Ulas Ince Combines An Analysis Of Political Economy And Political Theory To Examine The Impact Of Colonial Economic Relations On The Development Of Liberal Thought In Britain. He Shows How A Liberal Self-image For The British Empire Was Constructed In The Face Of The Systematic Expropriation, Exploitation, And Servitude That Built Its Transoceanic Capitalist Economy. The Resilience Of Britain's Self-image Was Due In Large Part To The Liberal Intellectuals Of Empire, Such As John Locke, Edmund Burke, And Edward Gibbon Wakefield, And Their Efforts To Disavow The Violent Transformations That Propelled British Colonial Capitalism. Ince Forcefully Demonstrates That Liberalism As A Language Of Politics Was Elaborated In And Through The Political Economic Debates Around The Contested Meanings Of Private Property, Market Exchange, And Free Labor. Weaving Together Intellectual History, Critical Theory, And Colonial Studies, This Book Is A Bold Attempt To Reconceptualize The Historical Relationship Between Capitalism, Liberalism, And Empire In A Way That Continues To Resonate With Our Present Moment.-- Cover; Half Title; Colonial Capitalism And The Dilemmas Of Liberalism; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Liberalism And Empire In A New Key; Liberalism, Capitalism, And Empire; Structure Of The Book; Ways Forward; 1. Colonial Capitalism And The Dilemmas Of Liberalism: Framing An Inquiry; Liberalism And Empire: Rematerializing A Field; New Dilemmas Of Liberalism; Conclusion: Stereoscopic View Of History; 2. In The Beginning, All The World Was America: John Locke's Global Theory Of Property; Locke And The Atlantic; Money And Morality Of Accumulation Money, Possession, And Dispossession; Conclusion: Beyond Possessive Individualism; 3. Not A Partnership In Pepper, Coffee, Calico, Or Tobacco: Edmund Burke And The Vicissitudes Of Imperial Commerce; Empire And Commercial Capitalism In India; Burke's Commercial Ideal; Imperious Commerce; Burke's Peculiar Universalism Revisited; Conclusion: Imperial Frontiersmen, Gentlemanly Capitalists; 4. Letters From Sydney: Edward Gibbon Wakefield And The Problem Of Colonial Labor; Political Labor Problem: The Metropole; Economic Labor Problem: The Colony Systematic Colonization: Capital And Empireconclusion: The Empire Of Liberty; Conclusion: Bringing The Economy Back In; Notes; Index Onur Ulas Ince. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. By the mid-nineteenth century, Britain celebrated its possession of a unique "empire of liberty" that propagated the rule of private property, free trade, and free labor across the globe. The British also knew that their empire had been built by conquering overseas territories, trading slaves, and extorting tribute from other societies. Set in the context of the early-modern British Empire, Colonial Capitalism and the Dilemmas of Liberalism paints a striking picture of these tensions between the illiberal origins of capitalism and its liberal imaginations in metropolitan thought.Onur Ulas Ince combines an analysis of political economy and political theory to examine the impact of colonial economic relations on the development of liberal thought in Britain. He shows how a liberal self-image for the British Empire was constructed in the face of the systematic expropriation, exploitation, and servitude that built its transoceanic capitalist economy. The resilience of Britain's self-image was due in large part to the liberal intellectuals of empire, such as John Locke, Edmund Burke, and Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and their efforts to disavow the violent transformations that propelled British colonial capitalism. Ince forcefully demonstrates that liberalism as a language of politics was elaborated in and through the political economic debates around the contested meanings of private property, market exchange, and free labor.Weaving together intellectual history, critical theory, and colonial studies, this book is a bold attempt to reconceptualize the historical relationship between capitalism, liberalism, and empire in a way that continues to resonate with our present moment. "In this book, Onar Ulas Ince combines an analysis of political economy with normative political theory to examine the formative impact of colonial economic relations on the historical development of liberal thought in Britain. Focusing on the centrality of liberal economic principles to Britain's self-image as a peaceful commercial society, Ince investigates some of the key historical moments in which these principles were thrown into question by the processes of forcible expropriation and exploitation that typified the British imperial economy as a whole. As he shows, such illiberal economic policies systematically challenged the liberal conception of commercial capitalism in Britain and the British national identity that was predicated on it. Specifically, such core tenets of liberalism as private property, market exchange, and free labor could be construed as progressive, emancipatory, and normatively universal only to the extent that Britain's colonial economic practices that contravened them were disavowed in political theory. In short, classical liberal economic theorists had to mentally compartmentalize theory from the disturbing facts on the ground.The case of the British imperial economy is especially important given Britain's role in disseminating liberal thought globally, but Ince's novel framework applies equally to other episodes as well, up to and including the contemporary American imperium"-- Provided by publisher In 'Colonial Capitalism and the Dilemmas of Liberalism', Onar Ulas Ince combines an analysis of political economy with normative political theory to examine the formative impact of colonial economic relations on the historical development of liberal thought in Britain. Focusing on the centrality of liberal economic principles to Britain's self-image as a peaceful commercial society, Ince investigates some of the key historical moments in which these principles were thrown into question by the processes of forcible expropriation and exploitation that typified the British imperial economy as a whole