Previous
Adolf Hitler
Pierre Gourou was a prominent French anthropologist and geographer whose work Césaire sees as dishonestly justifying European colonialism in the rest of the world. Despite conclusive scientific and historical evidence to the contrary, Gourou insisted that nonwhite people “have taken no part” in the development of science throughout history and “there has never been a great tropical civilization.” It did not matter that these were lies, since Gourou’s authority as an intellectual made them seem plausible enough to influence France’s policy in its colonies. While he did recognize that France was developing economically only by oppressing the people it colonized, he never suggested that it withdraw from its colonies, because his “career [was] at stake.” Césaire cites this cowardice on Gourou’s part as evidence that even well-meaning academics are strongly influenced by the political circumstances in which they work, and so they end up perpetuating evil policies even when critiquing them.
Pierre Gourou Quotes in Discourse on Colonialism
The Discourse on Colonialism quotes below are all either spoken by Pierre Gourou or refer to Pierre Gourou. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Section 4
Quotes
Our Gourou has slipped his leash; now we’re in for it; he’s going to tell everything; he’s beginning: “The typical hot countries find themselves faced with the following dilemma: economic stagnation and protection of the natives or temporary economic development and regression of the natives.” “Monsieur Gourou, this is very serious! I’m giving you a solemn warning: in this game it is your career which is at stake.” So our Gourou chooses to back off and refrain from specifying that, if the dilemma exists, it exists only within the framework of the existing regime; that if this paradox constitutes an iron law, it is only the iron law of colonialist capitalism, therefore of a society that is not only perishable but already in the process of perishing.
What impure and worldly geography!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
And the striking thing they all have in common is the persistent bourgeois attempt to reduce the most human problems to comfortable, hollow notions: the idea of the dependency complex in Mannoni, the ontological idea in the Rev. Tempels, the idea of “tropicality” in Gourou. What has become of the Banque d'Indochine in all that? And the Banque de Madagascar? And the bullwhip? And the taxes? And the handful of rice to the Madagascan or the nhaqué? And the martyrs? And the innocent people murdered? And the bloodstained money piling up in your coffers, gentlemen? They have evaporated! Disappeared, intermingled, become unrecognizable in the realm of pale ratiocinations.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Discourse on Colonialism LitChart as a printable PDF.
Pierre Gourou Quotes in Discourse on Colonialism
The Discourse on Colonialism quotes below are all either spoken by Pierre Gourou or refer to Pierre Gourou. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Section 4
Quotes
Our Gourou has slipped his leash; now we’re in for it; he’s going to tell everything; he’s beginning: “The typical hot countries find themselves faced with the following dilemma: economic stagnation and protection of the natives or temporary economic development and regression of the natives.” “Monsieur Gourou, this is very serious! I’m giving you a solemn warning: in this game it is your career which is at stake.” So our Gourou chooses to back off and refrain from specifying that, if the dilemma exists, it exists only within the framework of the existing regime; that if this paradox constitutes an iron law, it is only the iron law of colonialist capitalism, therefore of a society that is not only perishable but already in the process of perishing.
What impure and worldly geography!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
And the striking thing they all have in common is the persistent bourgeois attempt to reduce the most human problems to comfortable, hollow notions: the idea of the dependency complex in Mannoni, the ontological idea in the Rev. Tempels, the idea of “tropicality” in Gourou. What has become of the Banque d'Indochine in all that? And the Banque de Madagascar? And the bullwhip? And the taxes? And the handful of rice to the Madagascan or the nhaqué? And the martyrs? And the innocent people murdered? And the bloodstained money piling up in your coffers, gentlemen? They have evaporated! Disappeared, intermingled, become unrecognizable in the realm of pale ratiocinations.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
