History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History - Essay Example This implies an assumption that colonial powers could and should simply take for themselves what they needed from civilizations that were less well developed industrially. The exercise of power is quite blatant, since it denies the rights of the other nations, and speaks of a duty to â€Å"civilise inferior races† (Ferry: 1884, no page number). The terminology of empire casts the conquered lands as â€Å"savage wilderness† (Beveridge, 1898). In contrast, the colonizers are lauded as saviors: â€Å"it is ours to save that soil for liberty and civilization.† (Beveridge, 1898). This kind of rhetoric stresses the incompetence of conquered lands in governing themselves, and the positive contribution that colonial powers will make on the lives of the conquered peoples. These ideas show just how arrogant and condescending the western powers were, and how little they were able to appreciate different ways of living than their own. The notion of cultural supremacy is take n for granted in the political texts mentioned, but it also creeps into arts and literature as well.