Paper objective: The goal of the paper is to analyze Imperial Twilight by Stephen Platt within the framework of the class. This is based on the history studied, Sun Tsu, Machiavelli, and addressing some of the moral questions we asked. This paper is not a summary. Students are encouraged to focus on major themes of the book and how the themes of the Opium War link to wider significance, such as the impacts of free trade, the morality of said trade, sovereign ability of nations to control their economies, and the human stories involved in these relationships..
Questions to answer (not exhaustive, not all required): What are the major themes of the book? How does it approach the subject matter? What is the written quality? What are some of the ethical questions covered? How well do the ideas of Machiavelli and Sun Tsu apply to analyzing this historical period? Who is responsible for an illicit drug trade? How are trade relations in the 1800s comparable to the situation in the late 20th and early 21st century?