These factors are greatly linked to humanitarianism or philanthropic theories in Europe. They include the following

SOCIAL REASONS:
These factors are greatly linked to humanitarianism or philanthropic theories in Europe. They include the following
1. Need to spread Christianity.
By 1880's it had become necessary for European powers to colonize Africa in order to spread Christianity and save Afncans from poverty, Ignorance, diseases, and slavery. This
was necessary if it could extend fruits of European civilization to the backward people of
Afnca commonly called the' Dark Continent".
This argucment emphasises that it was a social obligation for the most developed races (Whites) to come to Africa and hence facilitate the origin of the phrase that "Africa's occupation was a white man s burden" to civilise the black race.
However, before the coming of missionaries. Africans had their own traditional African Religions which they respected much thus the spread of Christianity is not a sufficient factor to explain the major reasons for the scramble for and partition of Africa.
2. Stopping of slave trade:
This was one of the pretexts that gave chance to a number of missionaries and trading companies to come to Africa promising or claiming that they had come to uproot the inhuman trade from Africa completely and replace it with Iegitimate trade and therefore civilise the Africans, It's greatly doubted whether the aim of stopping slave trade was purely humantar.ar-
Truly if it was for this motive. then the partition of Africa could have taken place in 18405 and 18'505 following the coming of the first group of explorers and missionaries who tried to stop clave trade. Therefore, the economic factor was more paramount in this European colonization of Africa.
3.Solution for redundant labour after the industrial revolution:
The need to solve their social problems after the industrial revolution was another reason for the scramble for and partition 01 Africa Many people were unemployed. The solution was to come to Africa and work in colonies as colonial administrators, European farmers. White settlers and slaves were made to produce the needed raw materials in Africa, for example, towards 1880 there were 1,000,000 jobless people in great Britain alone while the situation was worse in France. Germany and Italy. It was therefore the need to resettle the unemployed and surplus population that had been replaced by machines in Europe that accelerated the European scramble for and partition of Africa.
4. The theory of racial Darwinism:
ThIS was developed by Charles Darwin which state" that life first evolved among the
white race of Europe and therefore they were duty bound to expand civilisation of the human race beyond Europe This is according to his book, "The origin of natural species". This, book sold like Ii not axe In the 19th century Europe.
He added on that Africans should remain inferior while whites should become superior m terms of SOCial developments. ThIS made Afncans to acquire an inferiority complex. For this matter there was a racist desire by whites to liberate these Africans from backwardness hence leading to the scramble for and partition of Africa
However, most African scholars refute this theory by claiming that civilisation began in Egypt where such things as the mode of writing, mode of reading and clothing were started hence another reason such as economic could have precipitated the scramble for and partition of Africa other than the humanitarian reasons.
POLITICAL REASONS.
Imbalance of power in Europe:
The second half of the- 19th century witnessed the growth of European nationalism and saw
the unification of both Germany and Italy. By 1870 France, a former master of the land, was disastrously defeated during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 to 1871 which caused the European balance of power change in favour of Germany. This new state of political affairs in Europe had a number of impacts outside Europe
The newly formed states of Italy and Germany entered them into the colonial scramble with other countries such as Britain, France and Portugal.
The defeated France during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian war was forced to come to Africa and compensate the loss of Alsace and Lorraine and prove to the rest of the world that it was still strong by colonising territories in Afnca
France started expanding in Africa to acquire territories regardless of how rich or poor those territories were. This is why territories such as Mali, Chad and Central Africa Republic became colonised by France although they had little resources.
In an attempt to plan for revenge against Germany, France needed territories from where to recruit enough soldiers in a plan to recover her lost Alsace and Lorraine territories. Although this was not achieved until 1914 but it made France to come to Africa and acquire territories. Therefore, the unification of Italy and Germany as independent states caused political imbalance in Europe whose effects led to the scramble for and partition of Africa.
Rise of Nationalism and development of Jingoism;
These were theories that were developed by the European powers where they regarded colonies as symbols of prestige amongst fellow European powers in Europe. This made Britain appear stronger and respected among European powers as she had acquired many
colonies in Africa faster than any other. For example during the 19th C, European powers
believed that the power of any country in Europe was determined by how many external colonies it had on the African continent. Colonies therefore became a measure of national greatness and hence many European powers rushed for them in pride for national glory.
European political and social superiority over African race:-
Equally important was psychological development in which Europeans stressed their superiority. They believed that the black races were inferior and therefore free to be colonized. According to them it was a good order for master races (Whites) to colonise the inferior races (Blacks). This kind of belief saw many African cultures and beliefs being replaced by European cultures and beliefs.