Colonialism Quote Analysis

The quote by Frantz Fanon concerning colonialism is one that contains a number of important allusions and implications. Primarily, Fanon seems to be arguing that colonialism is going the way of the dinosaur and that this is because of increasing levels of globalization. In this regard, Fanon seems to posit that the very identity of colonialism and people that once subscribed to the idea, or at least nations and ideologies that subscribed to this idea, are similarly being transformed. 

This change, though, is one that is quite positive, even though the quote itself is one that appears to have a very negative tone. This is because the quote is one that speaks to some of the most prominent changes that are taking place within the globe today. For instance, the rapid growth of the internet allows people across the world to be able to communicate with one another quickly and easily. 

There are trends toward a concept known as "universalism" that Fanon himself seems to be alluding to indirectly. According to another source, this universalism alludes to universal truths that can and should be acknowledged by everyone because it largely is replacing colonialism, at least in some regards (Césaire 56). The simple fact of the matter here is that this source is correct. 

Fanon is also correct, though, because he is able to elucidate some of the most important implications that are taking place within contemporary society. That is to say, this colonialism is quickly becoming outdated, for lack of a better word. This is what is leading to the destruction of the colonized, at least on the most basic of viewpoints, but there is a bit more to this philosophy than that. 

Primarily, the question of how these colonized are created continually proves elusive. Quite simply, the colonized are created through their environment. Every living creature is a product of its environment, and humans are no different. Those that grow up in environments that engender colonialism will find themselves subscribing to these colonial values as a result of this. 

However, this is simply not occurring, at least not in the quantities that it was before, and this is leading to something of a crisis for those that support colonialism in all the different forms it might take. For one thing, another source finds that colonialism is changing rapidly as something of a reflection of the shifting political, economic and social landscapes (Dirks 46-48). These fluctuations are simply a reality within a society wherein cultural values as well as nationalistic ones such as colonialism are rapidly changing and, for the most part, actually diminishing.

This is why Fanon states that the struggle is over. He means that there has been a literal struggle, quite a number of them, in fact, and that these struggles have already reached their conclusion, leaving behind the globe that is known today. These struggles, then, molded the globe into what it has become today, and colonialism is one of the casualties of these wars, as he mentions.

Of course, considering the creation and destruction of these colonial individuals, the next logical question to ask here is what, specifically, are they replaced with? The most straightforward answer that can be offered here is that they are simply replaced by contemporary humans. This contemporary human is one that is a combination of a number of different ideologies. 

Because of these increasing levels of globalization, as well as the final conquering of the entire globe, colonialism seems to have stagnated, along with a number of other prominent philosophies. Therefore, these colonialists have been replaced by those that subscribe to oftentimes clashing notions. By and large, though, the violence, or struggle, as Fanon calls it, has ended. 

This has been replaced by smaller-scale conflicts, or struggles, that take place on mediums such as social media. To be sure, the face of colonialism is one that primarily exists on theoretical levels now. This is not to say that colonialism no longer exists. Indeed, these philosophies surrounding colonialism are still alive and well in many cases, including that of the United States, in some cases. 

However, it is made clear here that these philosophies are simply outdated and not fit for a society that appears to not be as interested in colonizing new ground. The colonized are created by either being colonized themselves, in all the different ways that this can occur or, as mentioned earlier, by being a part of a society or country that heavily subscribes to and invests in these philosophies. 

Considering the priorities of most countries these days, though, the focus is on improving their own borders without expanding them or doing anything so ambitious. Rather, it seems that many of the more concrete and utilitarian implications associated with colonialism are still taking place, but in different forms. This seems to be manifesting particularly within domestic purviews.

One important implication of the quote by Fanon is that history is written by the victors. In this case, the overarching philosophies of society are written by the victor, and this also has likely contributed to the decline of colonialism. This demise of the colonized, as Fanon puts it, occurs not just on the literal level, but the theoretical one as well. Those that are defeated, in war or culturally such as Syria, see their philosophies and values, at least as they relate to their specific country or society, diminished as well. 

Colonialism, then, is much greater than the sum of its parts, and this is primarily because it functions as something of a litmus test for the individuals that inhabit a country and subscribe to its ideologies, whatever those might be. There are a number of authors who have demonstrated the stop of colonialism, too, which elucidates some of the most salient of reasons behind this decline in the number of colonialists. 

This is because of numerous sociological shifts. According to one source, then, the Western philosophies of colonialism have not expanded since the twentieth century and are instead moving toward "...to a different posture, offering indirect rule and fostering local autonomy" (Wolfe 43). This is indicative of a number of different sociological and geographic shifts.

It denotes a degree of centralization that Fanon is referring to with this quote, and colonialism, then, is the foundation upon which much of this centralization is able to take place. Considering the developments that have already taken place within society and the world within the past several centuries, though, it seems that there is simply no place for colonialism within Western society. 

This aspect is clearly what is being alluded to by Fanon, although he also seems to be arguing that there are replacements for these individuals. This is the case, to a more limited extent, but at the same time, it is also important to note that colonialism is tied to a bygone era and one that involved a great deal of struggle and change by its very definition. These changes, then, clearly are not taking place anymore. 

Looking at it in another light, the colonized are both created and destroyed by the governments and ideologies that they find themselves to be a part of. This is intrinsic to the concept of colonialism, although certainly not exclusive to it. This helps to show how easily people, these citizens, can become swept up in these sorts of conflicts, even if they do not believe in them personally.

Colonialism represents a moving around of many different components within the purview of society in general, but it seems that it has tapered off, and this naturally leads to the demise of colonialism. Although this obviously does not mean that those that subscribe to colonialism will suddenly drop dead, it does mean that, over time, these philosophies are slowly phased out. 

This might help to explain why this colonialism appears to be dying so slowly. People are not easily changed, and as such, these philosophies are not necessarily dying, at least not entirely, but rather are being adapted into other policies and philosophies wholesale. As such, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to properly trace the development of colonialism across these boundaries. 

Ultimately, it seems that Fanon is referring to the ways that society responds to change when he created this quote. The colonized are replaced by the individuals that have done the colonizing, but obviously, this does not occur nearly as much, or even at all, within Western society as it used to. Many of these concepts can be easily observed within other parts of the world, where these colonialist concepts continue to manifest themselves. By and large, though, those who are colonized have already adopted the philosophies and ideologies of the countries and people that have done the colonizing. Of course, this is far from universal, and it is likely that this component is yet another of the elements that Fanon is referring to, showing how these elements change over time as well. He is able to elucidate how and why those who have been colonized actually change.

Works Cited

Césaire, Aimé. Discourse on Colonialism. NYU Press, 2001. Print.

Dirks, Nicholas B. Colonialism and Culture. University of Michigan Press, 1992. Print.

Wolfe, Patrick. Settler Colonialism. A&C Black, 1999. Print.