THE NUTMEGS CURSE: CH 2

Question 1

European Superiority Doctrine and Sir Francis Bacon

Answer 1

European doctrines of empire, fueled by religious and philosophical beliefs, justified the superiority of Europeans and their right to dominate and extinguish other cultures, as exemplified by Sir Francis Bacon’s writings on the Holy War.

• Bacon argued that Christian Europeans had the divine right to exterminate groups deemed uncivilized or degenerate, laying the philosophical groundwork for European domination and genocide. Crossing of Divinity and Genocide.

Question 2

Genocide and tactics

Answer 2

Genocide in Banda Islands
Coen’s orders to “burn everywhere their dwellings” led to the systematic destruction of villages and the enslavement or killing of the indigenous population, constituting genocide.

• Brandschattingen: Dutch tactic of burning peasant villages to the ground, employed by Coen in the Banda Islands to subdue the local population and assert dominance. later adopted by the English in their wars in America, demonstrates the interconnectedness of colonial atrocities across different regions.

Question 3

Modern Relevance

Answer 3

Coen’s actions in the Banda Islands and Bacon’s justifications for European superiority remain relevant today, as they reflect the historical roots of Western power domination and the doctrine of liberal interventionism.