One idea over which imperialists and anti-imperialists disagreed is what is called the "white man's burden." Named after a Rudyard Kipling poem, the concept refers to the idea that white people have a responsibility (or burden) to improve other civilizations. The argument is that imperial powers have reached the height of development, culture and refinement, so it is their duty to impose that culture everywhere for the betterment of all humanity. The idea was a common justification for imperialism, and one that anti-imperialists disagreed with.
