Abstract
Two historians, GD Scholtz and H Giliomee, have written extensively about liberal political thought among Afrikaners during the period 1775-1975. Their interpretations of the influence of liberalism on Afrikaner political thought differ from one another in some respects. Scholtz acknowledges the influence of the political ideas of the Enlightenment on the Cape Patriot movement of the late eighteenth century, but does not regard these ideas as a form of liberalism. He views liberalism as a political ideology alien to the Afrikaners, that was introduced to South Africa in the early 1800s by British officials and missionaries. Since the middle of the nineteenth century the main exponents of liberal political thought in South Africa were British colonists and their descendants. There were always a few Afrikaners with liberal political ideas, but they were strongly influenced by British culture or by English-speaking South Africans. Giliomee, however, is of the opinion that there were already Afrikaners with liberal ideas at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It appears from his study that, although none of the major Afrikaner political leaders from the eighteenth century until the present can be described as a liberal, in the course of two centuries a number of politicians and intellectuals with an Afrikaans background played an important role in various liberal political movements and had a significant influence on the development of Afrikaner political thought. Although Scholtz and Giliomee have both made an important contribution to research on Afrikaner liberal political thought, it is clear that more research should lead to a better understanding of this phenomenon.Keywords: South African Historiography; Afrikaner Political Thought; GD Scholtz; H Giliomee; Liberalism; Democracy; Cape Patriot Movement; Cape Franchise; Segregation; Apartheid Disciplines: Political History; Intellectual History; Political Philosophy
Highlights
Two historians, GD Scholtz and H Giliomee, have written extensively about liberal political thought among Afrikaners during the period 1775-1975
The European Enlightenment had a significant influence on the Dutch or Afrikaner settlers of the Cape Colony, who already agitated for political rights during the late eighteenth century
A few historians have made significant contributions to the study of political liberalism among the Afrikaners. They include GD Scholtz (1905-1983) and H Giliomee, who are regarded by authoritative scholars of South African historiography as prominent Afrikaner historians
Summary
Afrikaner liberalism in the period 1775 - 1975 – the interpretations of GD Scholtz en H Giliomee. Scholtz regards JH Hofmeyr (junior) as the most important liberal political leader in the Union of South Africa before 1948 He writes that Hofmeyr’s views influenced the socalled “verligte” (enlightened) politicians of the National Party of the 1960s and 1970s. According to Giliomee Hofmeyr was an influential political liberal, but he points out that his fellow-Afrikaner FS Malan was an important liberal politician during the period before 1948 He does not regard the “verligte” members of the National Party as liberals, because they were only in favour of limited political reforms that would not endanger the dominant position of the white population. Scholtz acknowledges the influence of the political ideas of the Enlightenment on the Cape Patriot movement of the late eighteenth century, he views liberalism as a political ideology alien to the Afrikaners, that was introduced to South Africa in the Afrikaner liberalisme early 1800s by British officials and missionaries. Aangesien Scholtz nie oor die tydperk na 1975 geskryf het nie, word die resente verlede buite beskouing gelaat
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