Liberalism and Empire

Conflicting Perspectives on Late 19th Century American Imperialism

Abstract

In an effort to undermine Lockean liberalism, some have argued that it is highly conducive to imperialism, the pursuit of empire, while others have argued that Lockean liberalism delegitimizes imperialistic impulses in response. This paper will examine two important thinkers who represent opposing viewpoints on American imperialism during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While Indiana Senator Albert Beveridge ardently supported America’s imperialistic endeavors in the name of Lockean liberalism, Yale sociology professor William Graham Sumner appealed to the same principles to oppose American imperialism. By analyzing their arguments and assessing the compatibility of their ideas to the tenets of Lockean liberalism, the paper demonstrates that Lockean liberalism neither promotes nor opposes imperialism by default. By advancing this viewpoint, the paper offers a critical evaluation of the relationship between imperialism and liberalism and seeks to animate a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between ideology and policy.