(Week 3 State & Society) Summary

Ernest Gellner Nations and Nationalism Chs. 1, 5 & 6 (1983)

Ch.1

Definitions
Nationalismpoliticalprinciplepoliticalandnationalunitsshouldbeone
Nationalistsentimentanger/satisfaction
Nationalistmovementoccursfromthissentiment

(nationalistpolitical)Principleviolated,by:
- Politicalboundarycanfailtoincludeallmembersofnation
- Orincludesomeforeigners
- Anationmayliveinamultiplicityofstateswithnosinglestateclaimingtobethe
nationalone
mostsensitive:iftherulersofapoliticalunitbelongtoanationotherthanthatofthe
majorityoftheruled(occurringthroughtheincorporatingofthenationalterritoryinalarger
empireorforeigndomination).

Nationalism=theoryofpoliticallegitimacy,requiresethnicboundariestobethesameas
politicalones&thatethnicboundarieswithinagivenstateshouldntseparatethepower
holdersfromtherest.
Nationalistprincipleethical,universalspirit.Somecasesincludenonnationalsnon
egoistic:preservesculturaldiversity,apluralistinternationalpoliticalsystem&diminished
internalstrainswithinstates

Inpractice,nationalismhasnotbeensorational.Kantpartialitymakingexceptionsthe
centralhumanweaknessnationalsentimentsacroegoism(Mussolinisnationalism).
Politicaleffectivenessofnationalsentimentexistswithoutthosehavinganawarenessofthe
wrongscommittedbytheirnationaswellasthosecommittedagainstit.

Thefactofnaturethattherearemanynumerouspotentialnations(andindependent,
autonomouspoliticalunits)morethanthereareviablestatesremovesanyprospectfor
impartial,reasonablenationalism.Asnotallnationalismscanbesatisfiedthesatisfaction
ofsomespursthefrustrationofothers.Furthermore,manypotentialnationslivedcomplexly
intermixedamongstoneanother.Andsotheseterritorialpoliticalunitscanonlybecome
ethnicallyhomogenousbyremovingthenonnationals&sopeacefulimplementationofthe
nationalistprincipleisdifficult.

Thenationalistprincipleisonlyviolatedbyasignificantnumberofresidentforeignersora
foreignerinanationalrulingfamily.
Thepointatwhichaforeignergoesfrombenignlytoleratedtobecomingoffensivevaries
withcircumstance,howeveritisimpossibletopinpointaprecisefigure.

Stateandnation
(Week 3 State & Society) Summary

State(MaxWeber)agencywithinsocietywhichpossessesthemonopolyoflegitimate
violence.Inwellorderedsocieties,privateorsectionalviolenceisillegitimate.Violence
maybeappliedonlybythecentralpoliticalauthority,andthosetowhomitdelegatesthis
right.Theultimatemaintenanceoforderforcemaybeappliedonlybyone,special,
clearlyidentifiedandwellcentralised,disciplinedagencywithinsocietyie.thestate(of
modernsocieties).
FeudalstatesSomestatesdonotmonopoliselegitimateviolencewithintheterritorywhich
theymoreorlesseffectivelycontrol&privatefeudsoccurbetweenfiefholders/tribes.Eg
IraqistateunderBritishcontroltoleratedtribalraidsthatwerebureaucraticallyrecorded.
- Lackthewillormeanstoenforcetheirmonopolyoflegitimateviolence,butremain
recognisablestates.
WebersunderlyingprincipleethnocentricassumesthewellcentralisedWesternstate,
withthesocialdivisionoflabour.
Thestatesetofinstitutions/agenciesspecificallyconcernedwiththeenforcementoforder
suchaspoliceforcesandcourts.

Societieswithoutstatesdonothavetheproblemofnationalismwithanabsenceofpower
andboundariesaltogether.Nationalismhasseldomarisenincircumstanceswherethestate
itselfwaslackingoritsexistencewasinperil/doubt.
Thestatesboundariesand/orthedistributionofpowerarethepointsofresentmentthat
nationalismbears.

Definitionofnationalismrequiresanassumeddefinitionofthestateanditsassumed
existenceofpoliticallycentralisedunitsisanecessary,normativeconditionbutnot
sufficient.

p.5

Generalhistoricalobservationsaboutthestate:
Threefundamentalstages:(Hegelinspired)oncenonehad,thensomehad,andfinallyall
have[thestate].
Preagrarian:huntingandgatheringbandstoosmalltoallowpoliticaldivisionoflabour
constitutingthestate(stablespecialisedorderenforcinginstitution)&sodoesntarise
Agrarian:stateendowed.Strong/weak;despotic/lawabiding.Highlyvariableform.
Existenceofstateisanoption.
Industrial(postagrarian):presenceofstateisinescapable/nooption.Formremainsvariable.

Traditionsofsocialthought(anarchism,Marxism)inanindustrialorderthestateis
indispensableunderfavourableconditions.Doubts:industrialsocietiesareenormous,and
theirstandardoflivingdependsonacomplexdivisionofourandcooperation.
Withoutcontinuallyfavourableconditions,cooperationrequirescentralsanctionsand
enforcement(cantjustbespontaneous).

Problemofnationalismonlyarisesinthepresenceofa&somestate(s).

Thenation

p.6
(Week 3 State & Society) Summary

Thecentralisedstate&nationsate
stateofnatureformsoftribalorganisationarestateless(tribesarenotsmallstates).
Theideaofmanwithoutanation:ChamissotheManwithoutaShadowwastheMan
withoutaNation.Amanwithoutanationprovokesrevulsion

Chamissosperceptionwasthatamanmusthaveanationalitytonothaveoneisadisaster.
Havinganationisnotaninherentattributeofhumanity,butithasnowcometoappearas
such.
Nations&statesarenotuniversal,butadevelopment/outcome.
Nations&statesarenotthesame.
Nationalismholdsthattheyshouldbetogether,orareincomplete.
Buteach(nationandstate)emergedindependentlyandbychance.

Universalandnormativedefinitionoftheideaofthenation:
1. Cultural:Anationspeoplesharethesameculture(systemofideas,signsand
associationsandwaysofbehavingandcommunicating)
2. Voluntaristic:Recognitionofeachotherssharedmembershiptothenation&certain
mutualrightsandduties(ratherthantheothersharedattributesiemutualoccupants
ofagiventerritoryorspeakersofagivenlanguage).

Ch.5

WhatisaNation?

Theoryofnationality:willandculture.(notadequate)

Mankindhasalwaysbeenorganisedingroupswithendlessvarieties.
Twogenericcatalystsofgroupformationandmaintenancearecrucial:will,voluntary
adherenceandidentification,loyalty,solidaritybutalsofear,coercionandcompulsion.Most
persistinggroupsarebasedonaloyaltyandidentification(onwilledadherence)andon
extraneousincentives,positiveornegative,onhopesandfears(afew,raregroupsbased
exclusivelyorpredominantlyoneitherextreme).

Toexplaintheemergenceoftheage(ofnations)

Cantdefinenationsasgroupsjustbywill&selfidentification
Definitionsintermsofsharedculturearealsotoobroad&alsonotthecasehistorically.

Nationscanonlybedefinedintermsoftheageofnationalism(notvisaversa)theageof
nationalismiswhengeneralsocialconditionsmakeforstandardised,homogenous,centrally
sustainedhighcultures,pervadingentirepopulationsandnotjustaneliteminority,mean
educationallysanctionedandunifiedculturesconstitutetheonlyunittowhichpopulations
identify.Theculturesnowseemtobethenaturallocationofpoliticallegitimacy,andonly
sodoesanydefianceoftheirboundariesbypoliticalunitscreateascandal.

Undertheseconditionsonlycananationbedefinedbywillandculturesunitywithpolitical
unitssothatpopulationsarepoliticallyunitedwithallandonlythosewhosharetheir
(Week 3 State & Society) Summary

culture.Politieswillthenextendtheirboundariestothelimitsoftheircultures(toprotect
andimposetheirculturewiththeboundariesoftheirpower).Thefusion(unity)ofwill,
cultureandpolitybecomesthenorm;noteasilyorfrequentlydefied.

Nationalismengendersnations(notvisaversa).Nationslimusesthepreexistering
proliferationofculture,oftentransformingthemradically.Forexample,deadlanguages
revived,tradiitonsinvented,