Section II Practice : Historical Debates Essay

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Intro: Though the past is fixed and unchangeable, depictions of the past are more flexible, bending to the whims of the ever shifting and highly dynamic morals, values and ethics of a society, often manifesting the potential to change society or reveal aspects of the present that may not be explicitly apparent. This is particularly evident in regards to the historiography of Western Imperialism, as due to its highly controversial and provocative nature, the debates upon the origins and impacts of the expansion and consolidation of the British Empire promote a variety of responses and opinions, reflected within a historical producer’s text. These responses and opinions are highly reliant upon a producer’s context, as it shapes the ways in which they not only perceive their own past and present, but also the past of their own society, and the way in which they believe this past has shaped the present future. This is particularly relevant to a historical issue such as Western Imperialism, as both domestically and internationally society is feeling its repercussions through current social, cultural and political phenomena such as Brexit, globalization and the Refugee Crisis. That is not to say that the impact and relevance of Western Imperialism has only now resurfaced, moreso its relevance and influence is shifting and manifesting in different ways that are reflected within the works of various historical producers writing and experiencing radically different contexts, such as such as ‘Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World’ by Niall Ferguson, ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said, and ‘Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism’ by Vladimir Lenin.