this is a summary of nationalism that includes a comparison of all the different strands of the ideology. An introduction to a key of the key thinkers and an exploration of key themes such as racialism.
Nation – A common people with common ideology and culture. (e.g. Kurds)
The state
Nation state
The state can be a nation or collection of territories that are organised in political community under
one government. All nation states have geographical boundaries that encompass their sovereign
territory.
Comparison between two strands
Liberal nationalists Expansionist nationalists
Liberal nationalists argue that the world should Expansionist nationalists (Chauvinistic
be made up of democratic nation states that nationalism) rejects this idea and argues that
cooperate with each other as equals some nations are superior to theirs; these ideas
are associated with Maurras
Self determination
Self-determination is a contentious subject and has led to many conflicts between those wishing to
achieve it and those wishing to deny it.
Comparison between two strands
Liberal nationalists Anticolonial nationalists
Self-determination is an important facet of Ant colonialists saw that European imperialism
liberal nationalism, where nations have the right blocked self-determination and liberty
to govern themselves and be free of the internal
oppression that can exist with monarchies and
colonial empires.
Rousseau argued that the nation state should be For Gravey, self – determination had a radical
based on the “general will”, with society and dimension. As an anticolonialist, he saw that
the economy governed by the collective will of European imperialism blocked self-
the peoples that make up a community. determination and liberty in the continent of
Africa.
,Human nature
Characteristics of a nation:
Religion (The idea of Israel emerged from the Torah)
Language (France)
Johann Gottfried Von Herder –
Argued that a nation was defined by a common language
Ethnicity (Japan)
Culture (Britain and USA)
Jean – Jacques Rousseau –
Argued that the only people who share a national identity can create a single consciousness
robust enough to form a nation state.
Giuseppe Mazzini –
Recognised the importance of a romantic idea of national spirit that is common in so many
cultures.
Marcus Garvey –
Pioneered “black pride” which helped enable multinational nations to come to terms with
their colonial pasts and for black people to articulate their positive cultural contribution to
the various nation states that they belong to.
Charles Maurras –
Suggested that knowledge of a nation’s culture and history can also lead to the belief that it
is superior to others, such as Maurras’ chauvinistic nationalism.
Culturalism
Culturalism maintains that people have unique cultural identities that help define their national
identity. Moreover, Culturalism flourishes among people who feel that they have a distinctive
culture that is threatened by the majority culture of the nation.
Cultural nationalism can be destructive when chauvinistic in nature:
The likes of Garvey were anticolonial because of the derogatory treatment and lack of respect
that Africans had been subjected to by European colonialists.
Comparison between two strands
Conservative nationalism Liberal nationalism
Culturalism is grounded in the deep emotional In Rousseau’s version of civic nationalism, the
ties associated with the ideas of Herder and primary bond among members of a national
have been described as romantic and mystical. community should be individuals agreeing to
obey a political authority that they created
themselves: a social contract.
, Racialism
It is a majority viewpoint among nationalists. It argues that biological racial distinction is the most
important factor of nation identity. For racialists, race and culture are strongly tied together and it is
natural for the world to be divided into distinct races.
Nativism – Suggests that those who colonised the territory first should receive preferential
treatment, forming the political elite of society and dominating social and economic discourse.
Racialism can be neutral it does not necessarily perceive one race as being superior to another.
At its most extreme, racialism descends into pure racism and the state openly oppresses the racial
group it detests.
Internationalism
Internationalism denies the primacy (the fact of being most important) of the nation state and seeks
to break down the divisions that separate peoples of different nations.
Comparison between socialism and liberalism
Liberal internationalism Socialist internationalism
Perceives the liberal democratic state to be the Social internationalism seeks to break down
ideal model and international cooperation to be National boundaries on the basis that close
the best at protecting liberal values. identity should transcend national divisions
(although postcolonial nationalism is an
UN is the embodiment of liberal exception to this rule)
internationalism and is not above acting against
illiberal countries which harm their own people
or threaten the freedom of another state.
Giuseppe Mazzini’s long-term aspiration was Marx and Engels perceived nationalism as being
liberal internationalism, where he envisaged a a part of bourgeois ideology that fosters an
united and cooperating Europe. illusionary “false consciousness”. The working
class had a common cause that transcended any
ideas of national identity (“the working have not
country”) and only uniting as a class capitalism
be defeated.
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