Ethische politiek verbeeld als de christelijke beschavingsmissie:Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg, een Nederlandse koloniaal met goede bedoelingen? ; Ethical politics imagined as the Christian mission of civilization:Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg, a Dutch colonialist with good intentions?

This review article assesses Hans van der Jagt’s biography of the Dutch anti-revolutionary politician and colonial official Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg (Engelen uit Europa, 2022). Van der Jagt incorrectly depicts Idenburg as the figurehead of the Dutch colonial ethical policy at the beginning of the early twentieth century, while unduly idealising this policy. As is argued in this review article, this ethical policy was in effect instrumentalised as camouflage, concealing the perpetuation of the colonial intent – enforcement of Dutch rule, including extensive exploitation of land and pe... Mehr ...