Nation, Nation-State & National Identity

• Nationalism was a significant force in the 19th century, inspiring revolutions in Europe and worldwide.

Ernest Renan

• Ernest Renan (1823-1892) was a French philosopher.
• Renan authored a celebrated essay on national identity titled "What is a Nation?"
• In his essay, Renan explored common answers to the question of national identity.
• Renan added his own perceptions on the concepts of nation and nationhood

What Defines a Nation?

• Renan focuses on the spiritual principles that form a nation
• Renan went beyond racial, linguistic, or territorial factors.
• Nations are not defined by shared bloodline or ethnicity, but by a collective will to live together and form a community.
• Nations share a history, a culture, and a vision for the future.
• Nations are built on the decision to move forward together despite past grievances.

Important Concepts

• A nation is created and recreated daily through the will of the people, which can be described as a "daily plebiscite".
• Citizens reaffirm their commitment to the community,
• The true strength of a nation is the collective will to live together and to move forward
• The past may provide a sense of common origin.
• The present and future define a nation.
• Language and culture can play a part in the formation of a nation, but are not determinative.
• Many nations comprise groups that speak different languages and follow diverse cultural practices.
• A nation's unity is tied to democratic principles, where all members have equal rights and responsibilities.
• Collective will of the people, as expressed through participation in democratic processes, is fundamental to national identity.

Exclusion vs. Inclusion

• A nation isn't static but always changing.
• A nation evolves based on the willingness of the people to accept one another as equals.
• Nations are defined by the will to include or exclude specific groups.

Conclusion

• Nationhood is a spiritual principle based on shared values and common commitments.
• This contrasts with rigid, ethno-nationalist ideas of identity.
• A nation is a spiritual, emotional, and collective endeavor.
• A nation is more than just a political or racial entity
• States will have the power to exist when people are ready to make sacrifices, abdicate personal interests, and create a moral conscience of self.

Nationalism and Intellectuals

• Nationalism is loyalty and devotion to a nation, an idea inspired and formulated by intellectuals.
• Intellectuals played a vital role in creating a nation's administration, studying nationalism in action, and educating people.
• Intellectuals focused on generating awareness about identity, uniqueness, language, history, and culture.
• This awareness enables the formation of both a nation and a nation-state.

Nation vs. Nation-State

• In a political context, there's a key difference.
• A nation refers to a group of people who are aware of a common identity, attached to a demarcated territory, design a common project for the future, and demand the right to self-rule.
• A nation-state is the joint act of government and people.
• The government represents the ambitions and values of its citizens.
• Nation states secure equal participation, duties, and privileges for all its citizens.

Formation of a Nation-State

• Nation-state formation starts with the formation of a government with distinct components.
• Establishment of government monopoly of the deployment of weapons
• Controls and secures order within its boundaries.

19th Century National Movements

• In Western Europe: In Italy there were the "Veri Italiani" (True Italians)
• In Western Europe: In Germany there was the "Volksgeist" (National Spirit).
• In Eastern Europe: In the Balkans there was Pan-Slavism.

Volksgeist

• Volksgeist is the spirit of the people.
• Volksgeist described the national character or expression of the unique nature of Germans.
• It served as the ultimate datum/starting point.
• German intellectuals explored it in its various indications,
• Intellectuals searched their past for whatever identified them as German, generated pride in their heritage, and attached exceptional value to the concept of patriotism.

German Philosophers and Nationalism

• Philosophers greatly influenced the unification of Italy and Germany.
• Johann Herder was a German philosopher who said that one who loses his patriotic spirit loses himself.
• He believed every human perfection is national.
• Herder believed there is only one class in the state: The people (Volks)
• Friedrich Hegel carried nationalism a step further, arguing that dignity and freedom are tied to the idea of a nation-state.
• Hegel Believed without an independent state, people are not free and have no dignity
• Leo von Ranke believed each nation is unique.
• Ranke Believed that Germans have a mission from God- to develop a culture and political system entirely different from any other.
• German philosophers ultimately sought the creation of a pure German state, settling their affairs according to the original spirit of a German race.
• They sought to preserve the existence and continuance of that which is German.

Explores the relationship between nation and nation-state, views on national identity, and the role of intellectuals. Covers concepts such as Volksgeist and the spiritual principle of nationhood. It also covers the views of Johann Herder, Friedrich Hegel, Leo von Ranke and Ernest Renan.