How could one use Bagehot's writings to defend European Imperialism in Essay

How could one use Bagehot's writings to defend European Imperialism in the late 19th Century - Essay Example Therefore the trait that the strongest military group has is very important for society’s success in the future (Bagehot 46). In the case of British imperialism, Britain was more advanced in technology and weapons than the colonies they conquered. They had more powerful and more accurate guns which could also fire faster. Often the groups they conquered had no more advanced weaponry than arrows, swords, and armor. This advantage led to the conquering of several colonies which greatly expanded British territory. Bagehot would view the British expansion as something that ultimately benefited society. As he states in his book Physics and Politics, â€Å"There is no lament in any classical writer for the barbarians† (41). In other words, â€Å"civilized† society has generally never felt sympathy towards weaker groups. In fact, it may be said that society owes the fact that it is â€Å"civilized† to the sum total of all its military conquests throughout the age s. Bagehot also points out that Barbarians have never been completely overtaken like they were during English imperialism. He believes that this new dominance shows that Britain was actually more powerful than ancient races (45). Bagehot also states the â€Å"energy of civilization grows by the coalescence of strengths and by the competition of strengths† (42).