by Walter Rodney 1973

Published by: Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications, London and Tanzanian Publishing House, Dar-Es-Salaam 1973, Transcript from 6th reprint, 1983;
Transcribed: by Joaquin Arriola.

To
Pat, Muthoni, Mashaka and
the extended family

http://www.marxistsfr.org/subject/africa/rodney-walter/how-europe/index.htm

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

Contents

Preface

Chapter One. Some Questions on Development

1.1 What is Development
1.2 What is Underdevelopment?

Chapter Two. How Africa Developed Before the Coming of the Europeans up to the 15th Century

2.1 General Over-View
2.2 Concrete Examples

Chapter Three. Africa’s Contribution to European Capitalist Development — the Pre-Colonial Period

3.1 How Europe Became the Dominant Section of a World-Wide Trade System
3.2 Africa’s contribution to the economy and beliefs of early capitalist Europe

Chapter Four. Europe and the Roots of African Underdevelopment — to 1885

4.1 The European Slave Trade as a Basic Factor in African Underdevelopment
4.2 Technological Stagnation and Distortion of the African Economy in the Pre-Colonial Epoch
4.3 Continuing Politico-Military Developments in Africa — 1500 to 1885

Chapter Five. Africa’s Contribution to the Capitalist Development of Europe — the Colonial Period

5.1 Expatriation of African Surplus Under Colonialism
5.2 The Strengthening of Technological and Military Aspects of Capitalism

Chapter Six. Colonialism as a System for Underdeveloping Africa

6.1 The Supposed Benefits of Colonialism to Africa
6.2 Negative Character of the Social, Political and Economic Consequences
6.3 Education for Underdevelopment
6.4 Development by Contradiction

 In solidarity

Ajamu Nangwaya

The foundation of irreligious criticism is this: man makes religion, a religion does not make man. But man is no abstract being squatting outside of the world. Man is the world of man, the state, society. This state, this society, produces religion's inverted attitude to the world, because they are an inverted world themselves. Thus the struggle against religion is directly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion.... Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feeling of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless circumstances. It is the opium of the people.... - Karl Marx in Marx by David McLellan (1986), p. 31

On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right. - Martin Luther King, "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution" (31 March 1968)

Submitted to TheBlackList

by Cikiah Thomas <cikiah.t@sympatico.ca>