Interpreting the Nature and Diversity of Nationalism

 

A nation is a territory where all the people are led by the same government. The word “nation” can also refer to a group of people who share a history, traditions, culture and often language (even if the group does not have a country of its own.). People within this type of nation share a common identity and think of themselves as belonging to the same group.But sometimes everything is not limited to the definition of the word nation (common language, common feeling, common culture). For example, in the Çanakkale War of Independence, even if they do not have a common language and culture, Turks, Kurds, Laz and Circassians showed a national solidarity. The concept of nation, with the French Revolution (1789-1799) , a more ethnic-based concept of nation emerged.

Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the state and the nation should be unified.Expressed by people who believe that their nation is superior to all others. For example, Hitler argued that the German people were superior to other races, and he displayed a fascist (extreme nationalist) attitude.These feelings of superiority are often based on shared ethnicity, language, religion, culture, or social values. Not only Hitler, we come across the idea of nationalism all over the world, for example, Turkish nationalism in our country is based on solid foundations and attracts attention by many people.On the other hand,Nationalism as a term was mentioned for the first time in 1409 at Leipzig University.Modern nationalist thought arose from the ideas of the 1789-1799 French Revolution.The first nationalist movements in European history are found in Germany under the invasion of Napoleon I (1804-1815). In the same years, a strong nationalist movement arose in Russian-occupied Poland.

In modern formation, we can see nation-states today. So what is a nation state? The new political regime based on the central authority, apart from the feudal period, of a society (we call that Nation actually ) that has a shared culture, language and history in a certain geography, and lives together based on these features for a shared future, is called the state organization based on nationality and nation.

Finally, let's talk about types of nationalism. There are many nationalisms types arising from different views. Some of them ; humanitarian nationalism, Jacobin nationalism, traditional nationalism, Liberal nationalism,Integral Nationalism.

Humanitarian Nationalism; Humanitarianism is based on a view that all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such. Therefore, humanitarians work towards advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole. humanitarian nationalism had three main advocates; John Bolingbroke ,JeanJacques Rousseau,Gottfried Herder.

Jacobin Nationalism ;This form of nationalism related to Rousseau's democratic nationalism theory. it was developed for protect principles of French Revolution.This theory rose amid foreign war and internal rebellion.

Traditional Nationalism: Certain intellectuals who opposed the French Revolution and Napoleon embraced a different form of nationalism. Their frame of reference was not reason or revolution, but history and tradition. They rejected that what Jacobinism was supposed to stand for. Its most illustrious exponents were Edmund Burke, Vicomte de Bonald and Friedrich von Schlegel. Traditional nationalism was the powerful motivating force behind the revolts in France and the growing popular resistance on the Continent. Traditional nationalism, on the other hand, continued to be expressed here and there through-out Europe, eventually vanishing into the integral nationalism of the twentieth century.

 

Liberal Nationalism: Midway between Jacobin and Traditional Nationalism was liberal nationalism. Its leading spokesman was Jeremy Bentham. For him, nationality was the proper basis for state and government. War, in this context, was peculiarly bad and should be eliminated. There were many variations in detail among different versions of liberal nationalism with regard to its scope and implica- tions. But they all assumed that ‘each nationality should be a political unit under an independent constitutional government which would put an end to despotism, aristocracy and ecclesiastical influence, and assure to every citizen the broadest practicable exercise of personal liberty.

Integral Nationalism: Integral nationalism was deeply hostile to the internationalism of humanitarians and liberals. It made the nation not a means to humanity but an end in itself. It put national interests above those of the individual and those of humanity, refusing cooperation with other nations. On the other hand, in domestic affairs, integral nationalism was highly illiberal and tyrannical. It required all citizens to conform to a common standard of manners and morals and to share the same unreasoning enthusiasm for it. The philosophy of integral nationalism was derived from the writings of a number of theorists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as Auguste Comte, Hippolyte Adolphe Taine, Maurice Barrès and Charles Maurras. 

Except nationalism types ,when we think about impact of nationalism it is depend on how it is used. If it is used in a positive purposes, it can be a force for good. However, if it is used in a negativepurposes, it can be a force for evil. So it is very important to be aware of the potential dangers of nationalism but it is also important to recognize its potential benefits. 

Mert METİNER

RESOURCES

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries

https://education.nationalgeographic.org

Theories Of Nationalism (Third Edition ) 03/2017 – Umut Özkırımlı Managing Complexity Through Social Intelligence 03/2023 – Jeremy Horne