Most scholars agree that nationalism is a recent phenomena that could be traced back to the late eighteenth century Europe. However, most of them disagree on its definition and impact. Earlier thinkers, such as Earnest Renan sees a nation as “a soul” constituted of past memories accepted in the present by desires of people to live together. According to Renan, the past is full of ancestral heroism and devotion to glory. It is in the present that the past is brought back to life under new banners of solidarity and “a daily plebiscite.” Ernest Gellner, confirming the notion that nationalism is a modern concept, sees a connection between an industrial changing society rooted in high culture and education and the emergence of nation-sates. In his book “Imagined Communities,” published in 1991, Benedict Anderson argued that the print media played a major role under a capitalist society in the spread of “imagined political communities,” nations. Elie Kedourie regarded nationalism mostly as a European ideology influencing many parts of the world.
It is difficult to state all opinions about the definition of nation and nationalism. Few scholars share similar views and the majority of opinions differ sharply. Nationalism is not a rigid concept but rather a fluid and a dynamic one. It does not apply to all time or it belongs to any specific geographical area. It could be argued that with the advent of capitalism and the disintegration of the monarchy, nationalism has emerged on the world seen. If capitalism is to gradually fade away, nationalism will surely to follow. It is no coincidence that both of them appeared simultaneously one giving birth to the other and it won’t be a false prediction that both one day disappear.
Does nationalism in its evolution share the same traits among different cultures and nations? How do we compare the rise of nationalism in Europe versus other region of the world? The topic is undoubtedly interesting and yet hard to be covered in a short essay. If we were to accept the notion that nationalism was actually invented in Europe and then exported to the rest of world through different modes of transports, then we need to know how these imported ideas transplanted in foreign lands were received and developed. Since the emergence of European nationalism is well studied, it seems logical to shift to a less analyzed region and elaborate on the birth of nation-states in countries like Lebanon. Continue reading
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