Colonial conquest is redeemed in the conqueror’s mind by ideology
Evidence
The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea-something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to. — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 668
Categorization
Category: Definitional Content
- XREF: Conrad’s ‘idea’ here echoes Achebe’s justification mechanism from the preceding paragraph - Dokman is stacking the same insight from two authors.
Related
- An unselfish abstract idea is what redeems conquest from being mere theft (similarity 0.88)
- Imperial conquest is redeemed only by an underlying civilizing idea. (similarity 0.84)
- Imperial conquest is redeemed through an idea that justifies taking land from others (similarity 0.83)
- Colonial rulers sincerely believed their own religious and self-interested ideology (similarity 0.79)
- Colonialism’s ultimate goal is reengineering the colonized subject, not acquiring territory (similarity 0.78)