| ID | 120448 |
| Title Proper | Never look back |
| Other Title Information | political thought and the abolition of slavery |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Mayblin, Lucy |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The campaigns for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, spanning over 40 years, represented one of the major political issues of the late Enlightenment, and drew in people of all backgrounds. The very idea of humanity was at stake and this was an issue of broad-based concern. For the abolitionists, the humanity of black slaves was not in doubt, it was the actions of a society who condoned the practice, active or passive, that they saw as inhuman. Against this backdrop, Enlightenment thinkers were working on theories of justice, rights and humanity which would have an enduring influence on politics, society and academic thought for hundreds of years to come. This article addresses this historical context which, it is argued, is vital in reading, interpreting and applying Enlightenment thought in international relations today. The article presents primary and secondary historical evidence to this end and proposes that Spivak's conceptualization of 'sanctioned ignorance' offers much for understanding how it can be that European political thought has been so divorced from the context of slavery, from whence it emerged. |
| `In' analytical Note | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol. 26, No.1; Mar 2013: p.93-110 |
| Journal Source | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol. 26, No.1; Mar 2013: p.93-110 |
| Key Words | British Empire ; Political Issues ; Humanity ; Politics ; International Relations ; European Political Thought |