...The significance of the Haitian Revolution for the practice of contemporary theory. 1. Introduction Philosopher Peter Hallward claims, “If the French Revolution stands as the great political event of modern times the Haitian Revolution must figure at the most decisive sequence of that event” (Hallward, 2004:2). From a historical perspective, it is important that one recognises the significance of this event. The Haitian Revolution was a struggle for self-determination against colonial imperialism and slavery but it was also so much more than that as it was a struggle for the liberation of the African mind too. The Haitian Revolution influenced thinkers such as Peter Hallward and Alain Badiou, C.L.R. James as well as pan-Africanist thinkers such as Marcus Garvey and later Franz Fanon himself. In this paper I will analyse the Haitian Revolution not in a historical context per se but rather by examining its significance on the practice of contemporary theory. My argument in this paper is that the Haitian Revolution as an empirical event challenged many assumed theoretical universalities and in so doing has made contemporary theory ever more useful in terms of making sense of the world and uncovering hidden truths. For the purpose of this paper, theory as a concept as well as the practice of theory as process needs to be discussed in detail. Theory as a concept can best be understood as a system of ideas that are meant to explain a facet of existence. Thory can be very bold...
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...initiated a turning point in history, known as the Enlightenment. Although coffee had...
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...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault...
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...uprising of nearly 100,000 slaves in Saint-Domingue from 1791-1804 was the largest insurrection of slaves in history. The Haitian Revolution resulted in the creation of the first successful independent freed slave state in the world, a fact that rocked the socio-political, economic, and moral foundations of the Caribbean.[1] However, in the period following the Revolution, there is a noted increase of slavery in the Caribbean as a whole. Did the success of the Haitian uprising merely serve as a lesson for Caribbean planters and reinforce the slave society? To answer this question one must examine the factors that led to the Revolution’s success both externally, in the European metropoles, and internally, in the psychological and socio-political dynamics of Caribbean societies. Therefore, the Haitian Revolution appeared to impede abolition in the Caribbean in the short term because it reinforced white stereotypes of African savagery and inferiority, convinced planters of the danger of liberal and abolitionist ideals, and created a large void in the coffee and sugar markets which other colonies quickly filled by introducing more slave labor. While these effects should not be minimized, they were merely the logical aftershock of the tumultuous events in the established racial hierarchy. Ultimately, the Haitian Revolution was a major turning point in abolitionist history because it restructured the balance of power in the Caribbean thereby allowing a political gap for British...
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...|Pre-war event |Description |Contribution to the Revolutionary War | |French and Indian War|Also known as the 7 Years War, a conflict mostly between native Indian tribes, |Led to the British and French for the Posession of the continent. The French wanted to | | |the British and the French. |reclaim the Americas after severeal defeats. The French returned to join the American | | | |Colonists to defeat the Brtitish which led to American independence. | |Sugar Act |On April 5, 1764, the parliament passed a modified version of the Sugar and |The Sugar Act had disrupted the colonial economy by reducing the markets to which the | | |Molasses Act of 1733, and this act was about to expire. Under the Molasses or |colonies could sell, and the amount of currency available to them for the purchase of | | |Sugar Act colonial merchants were required to pay a tax of six pence per gallon |British manufactured goods. This act, in addition to the Currency Act, set the stage for | | |on the importation of foreign molasses. |the revolt at the imposition...
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...HISTORY 4C: WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 1715-PRESENT Description of the Course: This course surveys the history of Europe from the beginning of the 18th century until the end of the 20th century. We will study major political, economic, social and intellectual developments that affected European societies during that time period and changed lives of people throughout the world. Major themes of the course will include the French and Industrial Revolutions, emergence of ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism and socialism as well as their practical impact on politics and culture, the rise and fall of European global dominance, wars and revolution of the 20th century. Goals of the Course: I. Understanding Historical Heritage of our Civilization: The major purpose of this course is to familiarize you with heritage of the western civilization and help you understand significance of its impact on contemporary world. This class will aim to illustrate how the past impacts people’s lives in the present and how our actions, ideas, and self-image are shaped by historical developments. II. Acquiring Critical Thinking: History consists of more than just memorization of names, dates and narratives of historical events. Although knowledge of factual information is imperative, it is important to realize that history is interpretation of facts, trends and ideas. Therefore, neither professor nor Teaching Assistants will give you “right” or “wrong” answers. Instead, another major...
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...when the west intervened on the Russian civil war on behalf of the White Army, created an uneasy alliance in 1941 that that was most certainly ‘bound to fall apart’ when the common enemy was defeated in 1945. In order to come to a conclusion on the extent to which “An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common enemy” explains the origin of the cold war the essay will be divided into four parts: the opposed ideologies, events from 1919 to 1945, the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, and events subsequent to the conferences until 1949. The Bolsheviks seized power in 1917 leading to the establishment of the world’s first socialist state whose guiding ideas were those of communism. For the leaders of the western countries these ideas threatened the very basis of their societies, economically and politically, as they followed an ideology of Capitalism. For the USSR, capitalism which revolves around private enterprise was seen as creating divisions between rich and poor and thus the communists believed that all goods should be taken over by the government and distributed to individuals accordingly. (Phillips P4-5). Furthermore, a communist state was a one-party state, with the Communist Party representing the people whereas the West embraced liberal democracies where each person has the freedom to vote, the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. (Rogers, p1). The USA’s and USSR’s later alliance can without doubt be said...
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...The history of Britain in Brief Little is known about people inhabiting the British Isles in the pre-Celtic period (before 800 BC) Some monuments built by them have been preserved such as Stonehenge, erected some time before 1000 BC or Newgarange monument – it is the tomb. The first Celtic tribes, the Goidels or Gales are believed to have come to the British isles between 800 & 700 BC. Two centuries later they were followed by the Brythons or ancient Britons after whom the country was called Britain. The first Roman invasion was led by Julius Caesar in 55 BC. But Britain was not conquered until some 90 years later, under Emperor Claudius, in 43 AD. (anno Domini) Although the Roman occupation of Britain lasted nearly 400 years, it’s effects were few. (malý) The people did not adopt the Latin language & so Latin did not displace (vytlačit) Celtic. In the middle of the 5th century, three Germanic tribes – The Angles, Saxons and Jute’s invaded Britain from the continent. From the 8th century the Anglo-Saxons had to face Scandinavian invaders – the Danes and the Norsemen sometimes refereed to as Vikings –who occupied parts of Britain & made some permanent settlements. The Scandinavian invasions continued till the 11th century. The Anglo Saxon period can be characterised as a period of transition from a tribal (kmenový) to feudal organisation of society. The period of feudalism started around 1066 and lasted to the 15th century. In this period the modern English nation...
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...the war, influenced the battles and the decision making around the war. After the examination of these events, the most influential event of WW1 will be established and further proved to be the significant turning point in WW1. The first turning point in World War 1 is the British Campaign at Gallipoli in 1915. This campaign was important because it improved the morale of the British public, it allowed grain to more easily flow to Russia, and it kept Russia in the war, which was needed in order for the Allies to win. On November 25th 1914, Winston Churchill suggested his plan for a new war front in the Dardanelles to the British government’s War Council. On January 15th 1915, the War Council gave its agreement and British troops in Egypt were put on alert. The Central Powers were fighting primarily on two fronts – the Western and Eastern Fronts. Creating another front would force the Germans to split their army still further as they would need to support the badly rated Turkish army. When the Germans went to assist the Turks, that would leave their lines weakened in the west or east and lead to greater mobility there as the Allies would have a weakened army to fight against. As stated earlier, this campaign failed due to numerous reasons. Firstly, the land attack by French, British and ANZAC troops were badly planned, badly directed and made without any proper maps of the area. Early successes, which...
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...Course: European Political History Required Sources: A History of Modern Europe 1789-1981, 7th Edition, H.L. Peacock (available at GAU library) The Pneguin History of the World, 3rd Edition, by J.M. Roberts (available at GAU library) Recommended Sources: Donald Kagan et al: A Political History of Europe, since 1814 by Charles Seignobos, S. M. Macvane, The Western Heritage, Brief Edition, 2003 Websites: The course focuses on European history from the early 17th century to the end of the Second World War. The following aspects of political history of five selected countries - France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain- are covered : early kingdoms, unification, nationalism movements, political philosophies, conferences, alliance systems and conflicts which had an impact on Europe during the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries.Topics such as the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the Concert of Europe, and the two world wars will also be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on the relationship between the rise of liberalism and nationalism, the industrial revolution, and the emergence of modern political systems in Europe. Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Political history of France : Chapter 2 Political history of Germany: Chapter 3 Political history of Great Britain: Chapter 4 Political history of Italy: Chapter 5 Political history of Spain: Introduction In studying political history of European states, we put a focus on the beginning of...
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...ularism Modern Myths, Locked Minds by T. N. Madan Introduction: Scope, methods and Concepts 1. Secularization, secularism, Christian tradition and the Enlightenment: a brief history T. N. Madan differentiates between secularism, secularization and secularity. 1) Secularization refers to socio cultural processes in which the role of the sacred is progressively limited; 2) Secularism is the ideology that argues for the historical inevitability and progressive nature of secularization everywhere and 3) Secularity is the resultant state of society. The term "secularism" was first used by the British writer Holyoake in 1851 to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion. The English word ‘secular’ comes from the Latin ‘saeculum’, which means ‘an age’ or ‘the spirit of an age’ and has the same meaning as the Greek ‘aeon’. In general terms, secularism means “belonging to this age, or worldly” along with a denial of other worldly realities (i.e. religious). The Bible introduces the idea of divine creation in the book of Genesis. God speaks directly to Man in Genesis: “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it”. As Peter Berger, a social theorist notes that in this the idea of a secular world is sown as a God who stands outside of the Cosmos which is his creation. This opens the way for self making activity which Berger calls ‘historization’. Caesar was the emperor of Rome. In a famous passage Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things...
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...of women around the world, borrows the Chinese express that women hold up half the sky. In such a context where the global position of women makes them 21st-century slaves, the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, contributes in emphasizing that the freedom and independence of the world’ s women is the contemporary most crucial moral challenge. It is true that women around the world tend to hold positions of lower status and authority and are less likely to be employed in the paid work force (Eagly, 735). Women have historically been constrained by deep-rooted stereotypes that fuel a traditional perception of their place in society. Indeed, gender expectations regarding women’s roles participate in maintaining a majority of them in a subordinate position within the society and within the family - as housekeepers. Generally characterized as intellectually, but more particularly physically weaker than men, women’s agency is diminished by gender prejudices and women have to continuously, and in a larger extent than for their male counterparts, impose themselves to belong to society as full citizens. However, all these conventional images on women’s status are not vain and shore up women’s willpower to fight and be part of politics, culture and history as equal to men. Ironically thus, women stereotypes do have a good impact on women empowerment. Indeed, stereotypes reinforce women’s will to destroy biased ideas sustained by men. Therefore,...
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...This text talks about the three years of occupation of Egypt by the French people. The French Expedition was considered a turning in modern history of Arab countries in the point of view of western people. The expedition started in 1798 and ended in 1801. The French people wanted to spread their liberal beliefs and ideas and so, they started with the most well developed Arab country, which is Egypt. Although Egyptians were unprepared to be ruled by the French as they were different culturally and ideologically but their influence soon began to appear. One of the ways the French tried to manipulate the Egyptian mind is by using the anti-feudal system strategy. The Egyptian suffered from this system through which their land was owned by the Mamleuks and they were their slaves. The French expedition came after the French revolution which destroyed the feudalist system. And so the French said they came to liberate them from this oppressive system as well! Arabs were isolated at the time of Mamleuks and they thought that they were under the protection of the Turkish people. But after the French people came, they that they are weak and they are oppressed by the Mamleuks. Napoleon Bonaparte was the significant figure of this expedition. He was smart person and a great pretender. He knew the mentalities of the Egyptian and he knew how to reach to their hearts and minds thinking that they would believe him and accept him as his leader. However, this wasn’t the case. Egyptians or most...
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...Coontz’s article on the other hand focuses primarily on divorce and the history behind divorce. How divorce has change over time to explain why statistically divorce rates are so high comparable to 100 years ago and even further. Coontz’s article offers statistics and is mainly a logical appeal, while Ansari’s article offers statistics and appeals primarily to emotion. Both authors do a fantastic job and proving their...
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...Foreign Policy Essay American History Kyle Scott 2-16-16 In 1793, George Washington issued his proclamation of neutrality saying that the United States should pursue a conduct friendly and impartial toward the belligerent Powers. He did not feel that the United States should put themselves in the affairs of Europe. The United States should try to remain neutral at all times. The United States did not always follow these ideas though and began to get involved in Europe's problems. By 1794, relations with England had began to worsen. Washington sent John Jay to London to try to solve some of the problem issues with England. Since the revolution tension had been building up over many issues including British occupation of western ports and the failure of England to honor clauses of the peace treaty of 1783 such as the interference with American neutral shipping and impressments of American seamen. The treaty John Jay came home with resolved almost none of the problems. England agreed to vacate the western posts, but not before the first day of June 1796. This was a year away, and England also demanded access to the fur trade on American Soil of the Great Lakes. The British would not offer guarantees against the future impressment of American seamen. Perhaps most importantly, England refused to compromise on the issue of neutral rights, declaring that it would decide what America's rights would be. The United States was outraged by the treaty that Jay brought...
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