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 Periodical article |
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| Title: | The 'Regeneration of Africa': An Important and Ambiguous Concept in 18th and 19th Century French Thinking about Africa |
| Author: | Manchuelle, François |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Periodical: | Cahiers d'études africaines |
| Volume: | 36 |
| Issue: | 144 |
| Pages: | 559-588 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Africa |
| Subjects: | images abolition of slavery colonialism History and Exploration |
| External link: | https://doi.org/10.3406/cea.1996.1854 |
| Abstract: | In the late 18th and in the 19th century, the phrase 'regeneration of Africa' was used by abolitionists, who wished to redress the damage done to the African continent by the slave trade. For the French abolitionist movement, the Enlightenment and more generally speaking liberal opposition to absolutism, was an important source of inspiration. French liberals looked at 'civilization' as a perversion of an essentially good 'state of nature', but they believed one could create a civilization that would be closer to nature's intentions. Hence the importance of the idea of 'regeneration', a central concept of the French revolution. French liberals thought that the slave trade had destroyed healthy primitive 'republics' and replaced them with corrupt 'despotisms'. But Africa could be 'regenerated' through the removal of 'despotisms', the promotion of agriculture, and the revival of its ancient patriarchal cultures. All this should be brought about by the colonization of Africa. Thus the concept of 'regeneration' led to both colonization and modern African nationalism with its concern for a revival of traditional African cultures under democratic governments. The article is based on an examination of a number of French abolitionist and other texts on Africa. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French. |
