FOUNDATIONS: Reason & Imperialism 4; Cohn on Knowledge in Imperialism

In Season 2 - our FOUNDATIONS series - we’ll examine European philosophers from the 17th through the 19th centuries, to see how their views have shaped and defined our own… whether we realize it or not.

Today, and next time, we’ll look at Bernard Cohn’s COLONIALISM AND ITS FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE: THE BRITISH IN INDIA. Cohn uses the critical style of Michel Foucault to examine how the English expressions of power in India often produced outcomes they did not anticipate - even, or especially, when their intentions were “good”.

 Chalk this up in part to trying to manipulate the interface of two hyper complex systems (civil society and individual mind… more on all that in a few weeks), as well as to the fact that it is by definition impossible to do anything “good” for a people upon whom you have imposed a violent and coercive system like Imperialism.

But the “Foucauldian” point here remains compelling. As we’ll see, today, when the English tried to “clarify” the way language was used in India, ostensibly in a way that would ensure Indian language remained as true to itself as possible, they in fact made fundamental changes that, in turn, rippled out through Indian society and mind. While trying to make India more “truly Indian”, the English made it… well, more English. Next time, we’ll see a nearly identical change made in Indian law.