What is the justification for imperialism?

Answer 1

This is not a DingoBot case.

The main justification of the term Imperialism simply is another way for a nation to expand its sphere of influence to the actual colonization or even conquest of other nations.

The primary example, but certainly not the only one, is the expansion of the city state of Rome into an empire. Ancient Roman conquests however, were not all made in the name of imperialism. An example of this was the first two wars with Carthage.

Carthage was a dominate power in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The second war with Carthage was due to Hannibal's attack on ancient Rome by moving an army from Spain over the Alps and attacking the Italian peninsula. In this case, the war was not borne from imperialist expansion. It was a war of two equals.

From ancient times to the so-called imperialism of the European nations in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries conducted extensions of their nations' influence and reaped economic & political rewards by colonizing less developed nations such as India or Algeria.

Answer 2

Imperialism often went with feelings of superiority over the imperialized. Superiority can be found in three basic areas: cultural/ethnic, religious, and governmental. Take American imperialism for example. Part of McKinley's argument to annex the Philippines included the fact that the people of the Philippines were not of the typical WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) American stock and needed to be "uplifted". During the same period, Protestant minister's favorite target was China in effort to Christianize, which was increased with the Open Door Notes (see Josiah Strong). Social Darwinism was also relevant during this time and some felt it their duty as Americans to protect weaker nations, especially with the Roosevelt Corollary. The proliferation of democracy was also important, but the superiority of democracy had been a justification of expansion long before the early 20th Century.