Nations and Nationalism By: Ernest Gellner

Nations and Nationalism

By: Ernest Gellner

Christian Santarelli

Shane Kalna

Nationalism A theory of political legitimacy

How good your country is doing in the political world

Ethnic boundaries do not cut across political boundaries

Political and National unit should be congruent

The State Definition of nationalism depends on state and nation

The two are parasitic State conflict cannot be resolved by private or sectional

violence The state is comprised of agencies

The state exists where specialized order-enforcing agencies have been separated out from rest of life Police forces Courts

Nationalism does not arise when there is no state

The Nation A nation is less clearly defined than a state A nation is a contingency

Not necessary to be Neither states not nations exist at all times Nationalism juxtaposes nations and states

Either without the other is incomplete sets themselves up for tragedy

Weaknesses and Problems of Nationalism Believes there is only one effective nationalism for

every 10 potential ones Nationalism is fated to prevail Vast amount of languages cause problems with

nationalism Especially when state or nation is large

Two Types of Nationalism Eastern Nationalism Western Nationalism

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