In this blog post, we will examine how the Scientific Revolution laid the foundation for Western imperialism and led to the oppression of colonial nations.
From the emergence of Homo sapiens tens of thousands of years ago to the present day, humanity has undergone tremendous development. In the early days of humanity, people lived under the daily threat of survival, but through the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, and the Scientific Revolution, they eventually rose to the top of the ecological food chain. While humanity has undergone many changes, it was the Scientific Revolution, which began in the 17th century, that propelled humanity’s rapid development more than anything else. Through the Scientific Revolution, humanity achieved great scientific advancements, but at the same time, it ushered in the era of modern imperialism. Europe, particularly Western European nations, which had previously been overshadowed by the great powers of Asia, used scientific progress as a catalyst to launch large-scale explorations into the unknown world. As a result of these explorations, they began discovering and conquering new continents that had previously been unimaginable. Taking these efforts as a starting point, many European nations, without exception, embarked on exploration and conquest, and imperialism gradually spread throughout the Western world. Consequently, the majority of African nations, as well as many countries in Asia and Oceania, became colonies of Western nations.
Why did Asian and African nations have to become colonies when European nations were joining the ranks of imperialism one by one? According to Yuval Noah Harari’s book *Sapiens*, what they lacked was not technology, but rather the values, myths, and socio-political structures that had been formed over centuries in Western nations. The reason France and the United States were able to quickly follow in Britain’s footsteps was that they already shared the same myths and social structures as Britain. In the same vein, the reason Japan was able to adopt imperialism was likely because it rapidly embraced Western civilization through its own revolution, the “Meiji Restoration.”
How did this imperialism unfold? Let’s examine how imperialism progressed using the example of the British Empire. Initially, Portugal held a monopoly on trade in Asia. Entering the 17th century, Britain established the East India Company to challenge Portugal’s dominance and began trading with Asian nations. Initially focused on trade—particularly in spices and textiles from India—Britain began to take an interest in territory as the influence of the Mughal Empire, which ruled India, began to wane. Eventually, Britain seized control of India by force and began to rule it through the East India Company. By the mid-19th century, the East India Company was dissolved, and Britain began to govern India directly. After a long period of struggle, including Gandhi’s famous nonviolent resistance, India finally achieved independence following World War II. Many colonized nations experienced Western colonial rule in a similar manner: Western civilization, having infiltrated under the pretext of trade, used military force to exert control over these nations.
This imperialist colonial rule naturally provoked strong resistance from the colonized nations. The primary reason for this was the oppression inflicted by the imperialist powers. Starting with control over trade negotiations, they systematically stripped the colonized nations of their military power, administrative authority, and ultimately, their sovereignty. Above all, the greatest problem was that imperialist nations interfered with the cultures of the colonized nations. Imperialist nations culturally oppressed the colonized nations and forcibly imposed their own culture; far from viewing the colonized nations as sovereign states, they treated them merely as tools to serve their own interests. In fact, the trigger for the “Great Sepoy Mutiny” by Indian soldiers was also cultural oppression. For Hindus, who revered cows as sacred, being given rifle cartridges greased with cow fat was a violation of their religious beliefs, and this became the decisive trigger for the rebellion. Furthermore, in their trade activities, imperialist nations did not engage in fair, one-on-one transactions with colonial nations but instead took whatever they wanted in a manner bordering on plunder. In some countries, they even engaged in the slave trade, taking citizens of colonial nations as slaves to buy and sell.
Although the imperialist era was one in which the freedom of colonial nations was suppressed and inhumane acts were committed, it was not entirely without positive aspects when viewed in hindsight. The most positively evaluated aspect is that Western civilization, which was advanced in many areas at the time, was transmitted to the colonial nations. According to some scholars, the spread of a common language, the introduction of transportation systems such as railroads, and the expansion of educational opportunities were achieved through imperialism, and they argue that without these benefits, those nations would be in a worse situation than they are today. Furthermore, it is true that with the introduction of Western civilization, the technology of colonial nations—which had been stagnant at pre-Industrial Revolution levels—gradually advanced, and this can be viewed as a positive aspect of imperialism.
The question now is: if we set aside the cultural oppression perpetrated by imperialist nations, could imperialism actually have been beneficial to the colonized nations? If we exclude the discrimination and inhumane oppression that were the greatest problems of the imperialist era, wouldn’t living under the protection of a great power—while benefiting from its advanced culture and assistance—be a not-so-bad option? If this is difficult to grasp, let me offer an example. Imagine if South Korea were to become the 51st state of the United States; this would help illustrate a similar scenario. Today, since South Korea has nearly reached the level of an economically advanced nation, this might not seem particularly significant. However, let’s consider the situation 30 years ago, when South Korea was economically poor. Had it become the 51st state of the United States back then, the economic and lifestyle benefits would have been substantial. Thanks to the U.S.’s economic infrastructure and high standard of living, South Korea could have developed rapidly and directly benefited from the U.S.’s educational environment, job opportunities, and security. Back then, many people might have viewed this positively and welcomed it.
Moreover, becoming the 51st state of the U.S. does not mean that South Korea’s language or culture would undergo a complete transformation. If our culture were not suppressed and we could share America’s infrastructure and environment, it might be cause for celebration for those who once yearned for the U.S. while lamenting “Hell Joseon.” However, my perspective is slightly different. No matter how freely one could enjoy the various benefits of a superpower, overcoming cultural differences within a single nation is never easy. Even if there were no state-level cultural suppression, discrimination and conflict arising from people of different cultural backgrounds living together in the same community would be inevitable.
Similar examples include various conflicts that continue to this day. Since South Korea is composed of a single ethnic group, these issues are relatively rare, but in other countries, conflicts frequently arise due to cultural differences between different ethnic groups. Representative examples include the Catalan independence conflict and the Kosovo independence conflict, both of which are still ongoing. The Catalan conflict is a dispute that arose between Catalans and Castilians, who have different cultural backgrounds. Similarly, the Kosovo conflict is a dispute between ethnic Albanians and Serbs stemming from their distinct ethnic and cultural differences. These conflicts eventually escalated into major conflicts that led to civil wars. Through these examples, we can see just how important culture is within a nation. For this reason, I believe that imperialism cannot be glorified in any way.
Imperialism, which began in the 17th century, did not come to an end until the mid-20th century. The two centuries of imperialism left behind horrific memories that the colonized nations would never wish to relive. Of course, awareness of human rights was lacking at the time compared to today, but even so, the inhumane acts committed by imperialist nations cannot be justified. History does not allow for “what-if” scenarios. But what if imperialist nations had begun their relationships with the newly explored countries through equal trade? Even if it had taken a little longer, the colonized nations could have embraced the advanced Western civilization without a past tainted by oppression and exploitation, and developed just as we have today.
Of course, this is merely a hypothetical scenario. Nevertheless, we must remember the violence, oppression, and resulting conflicts that imperialism brought about throughout history. No matter how much one attempts to highlight the positive aspects of imperialism, the reality is that the suffering and sacrifices of countless people lie beneath it. Therefore, imperialism can never be viewed positively, and we must learn from history.
