Liberal imperialism

Abstract

In this chapter, I argue that liberalism is intrinsically imperialist; and that we should understand the attractions of liberal imperialism, and not flinch. However, I argue against succumbing to that attraction. This is for low reasons of practicality rather than on high moral principle, though “practicality” has considerable moral force when people’s lives are at stake. The paper sustains an argument for a nonmilitary but morally uninhibited global liberalism, if it were pursued intelligently and consistently, and for that I offer no apology. I regret the topicality of the subject-I have been bothered by it in the terms set by this paper since the Suez and Hungarian invasions of the Fall of 1956.