Nationalism

Nationalism

Defined: A nation is a historically constituted, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, and psychological make- up manifested in a common culture.

Origin: The modern idea of the nation began to take shape during the Age of Revolution, particularly with the American Revolution in 1776 and the French Revolution in 1789.

In America, the focus was not so much on the unified concept of nationalism. Instead, political discussions centered around fundamental rights like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There was also considerable debate about the balance of power between the American union and individual states, alongside the development of a liberal capitalist society.

In contrast, France approached the idea of the nation as something “one and indivisible.” Here, nationalism was deeply intertwined with the concepts of mass participation, citizenship, and the collective sovereignty of the people or a specific nationality.

Phases of Nationalism: Nationalism developed in two broad phases. The first phase predates the late 18th century, when early ideas of national unity began to take form. These concepts, which varied from one country to another, were more about geographical or cultural cohesion rather than modern nationalism. True nationalism emerged after the French Revolution, though in some cases, like Britain and France, the process of nation-building had already been underway for centuries—since the 16th century in Britain and the 17th century in France