In this response paper, I evaluate an academic article and a book chapter from Gilley’s list titled “Contributions of Western Colonialism to Human Flourishing.” First, I summarize the two works, then I discuss them using course materials, and finally I assess whether they support Gilley’s arguments.
The first article is “Structural Change in Western Africa as a Legacy of European Colonialism: The Labour System in Ghana and the Ivory Coast” by Schuerkens. It examines how colonialism caused structural changes in West Africa, comparing European and African systems across economic, political, and social lines. Schuerkens argues that colonized societies adopted European structures, especially under globalization. I critique her argument with course sources in the next section.
The second text is “The Magnificent Cake” from Adam Hochschild’s book King Leopold’s Ghost. This chapter narrates Stanley’s Congo River journey, which paved the way for Belgium’s colonization. Hochschild highlights Stanley’s treatment of natives, his colonial mindset, and how he helped Leopold seize control of the Congo.
I discuss how Schuerkens and Hochschild’s texts interact with theories by Dirlik, Fanon, Sartre, and others. I argue that Schuerkens overlooks the exploitative nature of colonialism, romanticizes social mobility, and centers colonial success stories while ignoring systemic injustice. Hochschild, on the other hand, exposes colonial brutality through Stanley’s actions and racist views, which contradict Gilley’s narrative entirely.
Ultimately, neither source supports Gilley’s claim of colonialism benefiting humanity. Schuerkens’s analysis is selective and superficial; Hochschild directly refutes such a claim through detailed accounts of violence and exploitation.