自由主义者的帝国倾向

The Imperialistic Inclination of the Liberals

自由主义者因其对个人自由和民族自治的推崇,使得他们天然地被认为是反帝国主义的。然而,如约翰·斯图亚特·密尔、伍德罗·威尔逊等自由主义者却对本国的帝国扩张抱持认可甚至支持的态度。对此,一种解释认为,帝国管制事实上有助于"未开化民族"的文明进步,由此促使自由主义者支持帝国的对外扩张;而另一解释则主张,对国内自由政体的维护才是自由主义者支持帝国扩张的根本因由。对两者的梳理和理解会凸显出其各自的不足之处。

As advocates of individual freedom and national self-determination,liberals are often viewed as inherently incompatible with imperialism.However,some liberals,such as John Stuart Mill and Woodrow Wilson,expressed their support for imperial expansion.One explanation is that imperial rule can actually contribute to the improvement of uncivilized peoples.Another explanation is that an empire can preserve its domestic freedom in the process of expansion.However,both explanations have their own defects.