Though the past is fixed and unchangeable, depictions of the past are more flexible, bending

to the whims of the ever shifting and highly dynamic morals, values and ethics of a society,
often manifesting the potential to change society or reveal aspects of the present that may
not be explicitly apparent. This is particularly evident in regards to the historiography of
Western Imperialism, as due to its highly controversial and provocative nature, the debates
upon the origins and impacts of the expansion and consolidation of the British Empire
promote a variety of responses and opinions, reflected within a historical producers text.
These responses and opinions are highly reliant upon a producers context, as it shapes the
ways in which they not only perceive their own past and present, but also the past of their
own society, and the way in which they believe this past has shaped the present future. This
is particularly relevant to a historical issue such as Western Imperialism, as both domestically
and internationally society is feeling its repercussions through current social, cultural and
political phenomena such as Brexit, globalization and the Refugee Crisis. That is not to say
that the impact and relevance of Western Imperialism has only now resurfaced, moreso its
relevance and influence is shifting and manifesting in different ways that are reflected within
the works of various historical producers writing and experiencing radically different
contexts, such as such as Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson,
Orientalism by Edward Said, and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir
Lenin.

The histories produced by present day historians are, by extension, a reflection upon the
present, as their works are influence by the historical producers own absorption and
perception of the present day attitudes and issues that are relevant within their own lives.
Thus, researches can gain a keen insight and understanding into what a society values and
believes through an analysis of the historical works their focus, conclusions and
methodologies produced at the time. This is particularly relevant in regards to the debate
upon the impact of Western Imperialism and the expansion of the British Empire, as
Imperialism was not just a physical phenomenon, but also one that had a significant impact
upon the socio-cultural, political, philosophical and economic landscape of the entire globe,
as according to Yuval Noah Harari within his macro-history book Sapiens: A Brief History of
Humankind all human cultures are at least in part the legacy of empires and imperial
civilizations, and no academic or political surgery can cut out the imperial legacies without
killing the patient. Both domestically and geopolitically, the present day consequences of
British imperial expansion, such as the Brexit political ruling to leave the European Union,
increasing levels of globalization, conflict in the Middle East and the Refugee Crisis, are being
experienced and analyzed, as each issue provides significant relevance and interest within
the lives of ordinary individuals, and thus also within the lives of historical producers. The
Conflict in the Middle East can be seen as a direct result of Western Imperialism (most
recently and specifically US imperialism), and as such, Middle Eastern historians and writers
often present a very unique perspective upon Imperialism through their experience of the
present, such as Palestinian writer and intellectual Edward Said, in his work Orientalism
who connects all Imperial actions to the orientalist and false cultural representations with
which the Western world perceives the Middle East. The thesis of Orientalism proposes the
existence of a subtle and persistent Eurocentric prejudice against AraboIslamic peoples
and their culture, which originates from Western cultures long tradition of false,
romanticized images of Asia and the Middle East, in particular. According to Said, these
cultural representations have served, and continue to serve, as implicit justifications for the
colonial and imperial ambitions of the European powers and of the U.S in the present, thus it
is evident that Saids experience of his Palestinian context has a significant impact upon the
way in which he perceives and interprets imperialism. Therefore, it is evident that despite
the fixed nature of the past, the more flexible histories produced by historians of the
present are by consequence a reflection of the present day values and attitudes of their
context with which the historical producer has absorbed.

History is a reflection upon the values and attitudes of society at the time, however it also
exhibits the capacity to change said values and attitudes, as history producers utilize their
interpretation of past events to influence the way in which current day society perceives the
present. This is particularly evident in regards to the way in which Imperial historians have
utilized and and manipulated their interpretations of the origins and impact of Western
Imperialism, a highly evocative and emotionally charged debate that has significant
relevance within the lives of many individuals within both the metropole and the periphery.
For example, Niall Ferguson, a right wing, pro-US historian, utilizes his interpretation of the
impacts of the British Empire upon the culture and experiences of those in the periphery as
a way in which to validate and legitimize the growth in US international influence, a growth
that many would suggest is an example of present day informal imperialism. Ferguson
suggests that though the origins of the Empire were in no way altruistic, the overall impact
of Western Imperialism upon the periphery was a good thing, as it enabled them with
Western culture and democracy which he values as higher than that of other nations.
Ferguson, as suggested within the title of his work, believes that Britain made the modern
world, and thus utilizes the supposed similarities between the expansion of the British
Empire and the expansion of US geopolitical influence to suggest, and by extension convince
his audience, that the ultimate consequence of US imperialism will be good as well.
Alternatively, Lenin utilizes his interpretation of Western Imperialism, as established by his
socio-philosophical context as a Marxist revolutionary, to incite and legitimize a proletariat,
anti-capitalist revolution, through his suggestion that origins of Imperialism is economic, and
deeply capitalist in nature. According to Lenin, in order for capitalism to generate higher
levels of profit than the markets of the metropole can sustain, banks and industrial
associations merge, and export and invest said capital in nations with underdeveloped
economies the periphery. Thus, the continuation of this financial behaviour promotes the
division of the world among monopolist companies and the imperial powers, making
imperialism the most advanced stage of capitalism as the title of his work suggests. Thus,
through conflating the negatively charged concept of imperialism with capitalism, Lenins
work demonstrates the capacity to change and validate the attitudes and values of his
revolutionary society. Therefore, it is evident that though the past is by nature fixed and
unchangeable, the more flexible interpretations of the past can not only demonstrate the
values of society, but also can be utilized in order to help shape said values and attitudes
presented.

Therefore, through Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson,
Orientalism by Edward Said, and Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir
Lenin, historical texts all of which were created under a variety of different context and
circumstances, it is evident that the way in which a historian forms a depiction of Western
Imperialism and the expansion of the British Empire is highly dependent upon their own
society and social groups values, attitudes and moral, ethical and ideological beliefs. Thus,
the writings of these historians demonstrates how history, unlike the past which is fixed, can
reveal as much about past societies as it does about the present, even going as far as to
present the capacity to enact social change. Thus, the statement greatly applies to the
debates particularly the origins and impacts of Western Imperialism.