One of the worst novels of the nineteenth century, aesthetically and politically, is Julius Vogel’s Anno Domini 2000 (1889). It is stylistically absurd because the author was a statesman with no literary prowess. It is appalling politically because it envisions a future in which the British Empire survives into the second millennium. It remains in print to this day.Vogel’s novel is relevant because it challenges recent scholarly attempts to portray the British Empire as a paragon of liberty. Neoconservatives such as Niall Ferguson and Nigel Biggar claim that the British Empire embodied liberal principles and spread them around the world. They argue that liberalism is secured through the power of empire, and therefore they lament the British Empire’s demise. From their perspective, only the
Read More »2024-04-22