HST7710 – Theories of Empire: from Enlightenment to Liberalism 2024/25

The module explores attitudes to empire and imperial expansion between the 18th and the 19th century. It will cover debates on empire in Europe and will focus first on Enlightenment attitudes (from Diderot, Herder, Raynal to Adam Smith and Edmund Burke), and then on nineteenth century writers, from Benjamin Constant, to Sismondi, Cattaneo, Mill and Tocqueville. By so doing, the module will discuss at the relationship between ideas of freedom civilisation, culture, international trade and Empire, and will provide an analysis of the meanings of concepts of Empire.