The Ideological Origins of the British Empire

Ideas in Context

by David Armitage

David Armitage presents the first comprehensive history of British conceptions of empire for half a century, tracing the emergence of British imperial identity from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth centuries. This book sheds new light on major British political thinkers, from Sir Thomas Smith to David Hume, by providing novel accounts of the "British problem" in the early modern period, of the relationship between Protestantism and empire, of theories of property, liberty and political economy in imperial perspective, and of the imperial contribution to the emergence of the British identity.

Genres: History, Politics, Philosophy, Nonfiction, British Literature, 21st Century, European History

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

David Armitage is an English historian known for his writings on international and intellectual history. He is chair of the history department and Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History at Harvard University.

There are multiple other authors with the same name:
David T. Armitage: Academic specializing in semiconductor and liquid crystal physics
David^^Armitage: Children's book illustrator, husband of Ronda Armitage
David^^^Armitage: Children's book author
David^^^^Armitage: Author specializing in golf coaching

Reviews

[Catherine Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all of us have the time or money to attend Harvard as a graduate or undergraduate political science major. Therefore, I highly recommend reading every single thing that Dr. Armitage has written on statecraft and the history of political science. I am particularly fond of his essay from 2000 on "Edmund Burke and Reason of State" from the Journal of the History of Ideas 61.4.

[Stan Debruyn Roos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put this in the category of 'former Chair of the Department of History at Harvard writes mind-bogglingly boring book' about - you guessed it - the British Empire. Why are they so obsessed with the British Empire. Even when they claim they are critical of it you can just reek the pride for their 'liberal, maritime, mercantile and Protestant' past off the pages. The UK is dead in the water. Move along people.

Aside from that diatribe, his observation (as basic as it is and most likely argued elsewhere) on Empire as a tool for identity creation at home and as an aid in the conception of the nation-state in early modern Europe is convincing.

Dr. Armitage if you read this, what's up king, I'm just tired, don't read too much into it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably should be read along with Linda Colley's "Britons." It's been said to contain egregious errors.