Colonialism And Modern Social Theory

The concept of modern society emerged in the context of European colonialism and empire, as did the social theory that sought to study it and laid the basis for most social theorizing ever since. Yet colonialism and empire are absent from the conceptual framework of modern society, which is organized instead around ideas of nation state and capitalist economy.

Gurminder K. Bhambra and John Holmwood address this damaging gap to think through the role of colonialism in the development of modern society and the legacies it has bequeathed. Beginning with a consideration of the role of colonialism and empire in the formation of social theory's bedrock from Hobbes to Hegel, the authors go on to focus on the work of Tocqueville, Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Du Bois. As well as unpicking critical omissions and misrepresentations, the chapters draw attention to where colonialism is acknowledged and discussed - albeit inadequately - by the writers drawn on as founding figures, showing what this fresh re-reading has to offer and why it matters. This inspiring and insightful book argues for the reconstruction of social theory for a better understanding of contemporary social thought, its limitations and its wider possibilities.