Nationalism

Question 1

Liberal nationalist thinkers

Answer 1

Rousseau
Mazzini
Woodrow Wilson

Question 2

Conservative nationalist thinkers

Answer 2

Herder

Question 3

Integral nationalist thinkers

Answer 3

Maurras

Question 4

Anti and post colonial nationalist thinkers

Answer 4

Garvey
Ghandi
Nyerere

Question 5

Summary of liberal nationalism

Answer 5

Humans are rational, can improve themselves and are capable of living peacefully
Humans naturally want to be free and enjoy democracy
They may feel cultural ties based on language and art (more emphasised by Mazzini than Rousseau) but they believe someone coming to their country from afar can still learn to become a national citizen (inclusive nationalism)
They have classical liberal economic ideas that people should trade, this will also have the added benefit of leading to peace

Question 6

Summary of conservative nationalism

Answer 6

Humans are more emotional/cultural than rational
They are strongly attached to language and the historic roots of their locality, believing it would take many generations for any foreigner to become a citizen,’exclusive’ form of nationalism’ although they may be more accepting than integrals
These nationalists could be racialist – race is very important - but not necessarily overtly racist (see below).

Question 7

Summary of integral nationalism

Answer 7

Taking conservative nationalism further by arguing national pride and cohesion is not just important it is integral to the essence of human nature
Pessimism about human nature means they distrust other nations who may start wars
Economically, more likely to be protectionist or mercantilist than liberals
Nationalism is not just based on common history/language but on the racial basis of the state therefore distrust/persecute different races, especially Jewish people who have been scattered (in a diaspora) and are always more loyal to their own people than the nation in which they live
These nationalists are either racialist (race is very important) or racist (their race is superior).

Question 8

Summary of anti/post colonial nationalism

Answer 8

Tend to have liberal view of human nature as rational; only Garvey, not a typical anti/post colonial nationalist rejects rational with his emphasis on race, African ethnicity and the need to get back to an African culture. But the rest believe humans can improve/progress because they have inherited borders that do not usually correspond to old ethnic or cultural groups and often need to encourage the forging of a new identity eg ‘Tanzanian’. Economically, usually socialist.

Question 9

Integral

Answer 9

Nationalist feeling is one of the strongest human emotions and motivators

Question 10

Authoritarian

Answer 10

Humans are naturally unsuited to democracy, benefiting from strong authoritive rulers/dictators

Question 11

Anti colonial

Answer 11

Someone who fights against the invaders and colonizers of their country

Question 12

Conservative nationalists views on human nature/society

Answer 12

Sense of national identity pre-dates modern nation state ie person can yearn for it in a natural ‘organic’ way eg Herder Volksgeist, spirit of German nation based on language and history came before birth of unified Germany 1871. They emphasise culture.
‘Culture’ includes REAL
Religion integral nat Maurras thought Catholicism key to French national identity, even anti-colonial Jinnah thought new country Pakistan (1947) should be ‘Islamic state’
Ethnicity
Art (and other culture like music, literature – even liberal Mazzini thought Italian art important
Language particularly stressed by Herder, but again even liberal Mazzini thinks it important and ‘liberal’ Welsh nationalists promote it in schools
War: humans may go to war for selfish reasons (to gain land)

Question 13

Liberal nationalist view on human nature/society

Answer 13

Believe nationalism is less ‘natural’, and is exaggerated by conservative nationalists. Rousseau only started to develop ideas about nationalism because he thought that as ties to monarchy and church weakened, people would need to have new ties and these would need to unite social classes. Developed idea that people in a geographical area express a ‘common or general will’ and this underpins nation state. Nation state could pre-date a sense of nationalism and shape it, rather than the other way round.
Belief in rationality of humans means they embrace the chance to become better educated and free.
Nations should be democratic and nationalism is civic, calling people citizens (not subjects) and giving them rights makes them proud.
Because nationalism based on rational attachment to state a foreigner can quickly become a citizen (inclusive). Humans rationally will be peaceful, avoiding destructive wars. Democratic nations will respect each other’s right to national self determination and support international organisations to keep the peace.

Question 14

Integral nationalists view on human nature/society

Answer 14

Believe nationalism is less ‘natural’, and is exaggerated by conservative nationalists. Rousseau only started to develop ideas about nationalism because he thought that as ties to monarchy and church weakened, people would need to have new ties and these would need to unite social classes. Developed idea that people in a geographical area express a ‘common or general will’ and this underpins nation state. Nation state could pre-date a sense of nationalism and shape it, rather than the other way round.
Belief in rationality of humans means they embrace the chance to become better educated and free.
Nations should be democratic and nationalism is civic, calling people citizens (not subjects) and giving them rights makes them proud.
Because nationalism based on rational attachment to state a foreigner can quickly become a citizen (inclusive). Humans rationally will be peaceful, avoiding destructive wars. Democratic nations will respect each other’s right to national self determination and support international organisations to keep the peace.

Question 15

Anti/post nationalists view on human nature/society

Answer 15

More varied than the other three groups. For example Garvey – is he racialist or racist (see previous slide) in excluding whites from Africa??? Other anti/post colonials have claimed to have more multicultural approach although eg in practise Islamic state Pakistan less tolerant to Hindus and arguably at times Hindu dominated India has been Islamophobic (like now)
Some anti/post colonialists believe humans are rational and promote rights and democracy (Nyerere at least in early years) but some such as Garvey believe humans prefer authoritarian rulers
Some believe violence never justified (Gandhi satyagraha principle non violent civil disobedience) others believe it can be justified eg Mau Mau against British 1960s

Question 16

Liberal nationalists views on the state

Answer 16

Liberals believe people need to be free and therefore the state should be small eg only needs a small police force.

Question 17

Conservative nationalists views on the state

Answer 17

As before, because humans not suited to democracy, state needs to be powerful eg strong law and order, big police force. Such states may legitimately use expansionist foreign policy or colonialism to pursue war aims of land expansion. States may be mercantilist such as Navigation Acts 18th and early 20th century: GB forbidding other nations from trading with ‘their’ colonies. And 17th and 18th centuries British using piracy to rob eg Spanish galleons, supported by Queen Elizabeth.

Question 18

Integral nationalists views on the state

Answer 18

Same as cons but more extreme

Question 19

Anti/post colonial nationalists views on the state

Answer 19

Attitude to state varies depending on whether authoritarian (Garvey) or more liberal (Gandhi). Garvey ‘a race that is solely dependent on another for its economic existence sooner or later dies’ ie similar to ‘autarky’, although more justified because in history of the world whites have been economic exploiters.

Question 20

Mercantilism

Answer 20

Usually historic referring to using piracy, excluding rivals from trade to wage ‘economic war’ to weaken them.

Question 21

Protectionism

Answer 21

The belief that nations may be justified in imposing tariffs either to ‘protect’ the home industry or to punish a powerful economic rival (like China)

Question 22

Liberal internationalism

Answer 22

Sometimes the goals of a liberal nation state such as free trade can best be pursued by nation states giving up some of their sovereignty to an international organisation like the WTO or European Union in effect ‘pooling’ it. The country benefits because a) it continues to have some sovereignty as one of the decision-makers in the international organisation and b) it achieves the goal, which it cannot do on its own.

Question 23

Socialist Internationalism

Answer 23

Rejects the nation as an appropriate political community into which to divide humanity. We are all ‘global citizens’ sharing common humanity who should be engaged in achieving social justice.

Question 24

Liberal nationalists views on the economy

Answer 24

Also the state should interfere as little as possible in people’s economic affairs; low taxes, allowing all business people to trade freely by importing and exporting without tariffs, this free trade will make the whole nation grow and prosper. Want free trade world-wide. Therefore, paradoxically, prepared to accept a supra-national body to protect free trade (such as World Trade Organisation today).
Free trade will promote ties of friendship between nations, so less war, which is always bad for the economy. Sometimes known as ‘liberal internationalism’ (see keywords)
Mazzini was an example of a liberal nationalist during industrialisation and mature stage of capitalism. Therefore he also saw democracy as important for giving industrial workers rights, preventing them from turning to revolution.
Remember one ideology that is a counter to all these ‘nationalisms’ is socialist internationalism (need to dissolve national boundaries’ which is far left.

Question 25

Conservative nationalists views on the economy

Answer 25

More likely to be protectionist (ant free trade), less likely to support supra national organisations like WTO. Eg, currently some British Conservatives chafe against Paris Climate ‘net zero’ targets because they say they will damage economy. Eg Trump anti China steel tariffs.

Question 26

Integral nationalists views on the economy

Answer 26

As with conservative/cultural only more extreme:
Nativism means long standing residents should benefit from economic policy (inspires Brexit)
Nazis aimed for autarky economic self sufficiency to keep the nation strong

Question 27

Anti/post colonial nationalists views on the economy

Answer 27

Sets up 1919 Black Star shipping line between black traders US and Africa, and Negro Factories Association within USA which are unsuccessful short term but provide inspiration for Nyerere African Union ambition to prevent western companies from continuing economic imperialism post 1960s.
Nyerere President Tanzania from 1961 builds on Tanzanian pre colonial ‘ujamaa’ tradition that economy should be based on kinship and mutual obligations, not ruthless selfish capitalist free for all, but also rejects the USSR (Russian Communist) model that state should control collectively owned farms, allowing them some freedom

Question 28

Nation

Answer 28

A group of people living in a geographical area who feel they have bonds with each other

Question 29

Nation state

Answer 29

A group of people living in a geographical areas who feel they have bonds with each other and have achieved statehood in the sense that they have a central government and at least some recognition from other nations that they are a nation.

Question 30

Views on the right to self determination

Answer 30

Some conservatives/integrals would always have accepted a powerful nation state had the right to rule weaker areas such as both the European empires (Austro-Hungary pre WW1) or in Africa. They are more likely to say small states cannot be economically viable (eg Scotland).
Woodrow Wilson, US President during and after WW1 is seen as the founder of ‘national self-determination’ and yet he only applied it to the people in the European empires, not the colonised in Africa and Asia.
Therefore anti and post colonial nationalists developed a fuller version of nat self-determination, including spelling out the need for nations to have economic determination after they had been granted independence.

Question 31

Arguments for nationalism being a force for democracy

Answer 31

Historically nationalism originally emerged as a liberal revolutionary movement at the end of the 18th century, aiming to liberate populations from the tyranny of unelected monarchies
Wilsonian model of liberal nationalism emerged in 20th century to aim for world of liberal democracies; aspiring nation states like Scotland and Kurdistan point to polls, election results, referendums to legitimise their cause and promise they would be democratic once independent
Anti and post colonialists have mostly embraced the democracy as a means to liberate themselves from colonial powers and constraints of world dominated by western imperialists/global capitalism eg India is the world’s most populous democracy, Tanzania is still 90/197 in Freedom House’s rankings of democratic nations

Question 32

Arguments against nationalism being a force for democracy

Answer 32

Citizens’ loyalty to nation more important tha n their rights; integral nationalists opposition to democracy (plus Garvey)
Conservative nationalists like UK conservative gov’t push ‘democratic values’ in citizenship tests and Prevent strategy (to prevent homegrown far right and islamist terrorism) but this is in itself ‘undemocratic’ because encroaches on free speech
Some post colonialist states have not stayed democratic eg Tanzania has fallen from a higher ranking (see Yes points), India’s current BJP government violates rights of Muslim minority.
Populists like Trump has used nationalism to push anti-democratic message eg Make America Great Again alongside election denial and support for white supremacists

Question 33

Arguments for nationalism being a force for war

Answer 33

Expansionism and war that results are central to Nazism and fascism; integral nationalism views a willingness to go to war as part of a citizen’s prioritising of the needs of their nation
Conservative nationalism desires to promote stability through national pride but has a tendency to spill over into national chauvinism and thus a willingness to colonise and to fight.
Anti and post colonialists have advocated violence as a necessary part of their nation’s liberation. Black nationalists have been accused of stoking inter racial hostility.

Question 34

Arguments against nationalism being a force for war

Answer 34

Liberal nationalism has been promoted as a means to achieve a world of self-determining democracies that will refrain from fighting due to mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and trade
Conservative nationalists promote their ideology as one that encourages social cohesion and stability through national unity. Contented citizens are thought to be less inclined to desire war.
Ant and post colonial movements have advocated peace as a means to distance themselves from the violence and war-mongering of western imperialists

Question 35

Arguments for nationalism being a forward looking ideology

Answer 35

It has been claimed that all modern nations are the creation of states and nationalist movements reliant on modern technology and infrastructure
Nationalism emerged as a liberal revolutionary movement to promote modern Enlightenment ideas of individual liberty and self-determination
Black and post colonial nationalists present their movements as providing an alternative political and/or economic arrangement to the dominant white western model

Question 36

Arguments against nationalism being a forward looking ideology

Answer 36

All forms of nationalism are to some extent backward looking as they base their claims on the cultural heritage of a historic nation
Conservative nationalists place a particular emphasis on understanding and celebrating the historical cultural heritage of one’s nation.
Integral and fascist forms of nationalism tend to look back to a golden age to which their nation must return