Original scientific paper
NATIONALISM, NATION AND NATION-STATE: HAVE THEY ANY PROSPECTS?
Davorka Matić
Abstract
In this paper the author problematizes restrictive opinions of nationalism as aggressive, intolerant and reactionary
doctrine that is incompatible with values of democracy and liberalism. Through the analysis of a historical connection
between nationalism and modern state, the author emphasizes that nationalism is not merely irrational and brutal force,
but in the first place a theory of legitimate authority and specifically modern form of rational politics that is intimately
connected with the development of democracy. Moreover, the author rejects the conventional wisdom of globalisation as a
force that has brought along the implosion of ethnic identities, caused the crises of legitimacy of a nations-tate and
seriously eroded forms of collective identification that are associated with it. After that, the author presents arguments
that go in favour of the thesis that globalisation and political configuration of states in broader supra-national systems
incites to nationalism and supports the persistence of ideological fascination of ideological format of a nation-state.
Restrictive view of nationalism is not capable to explain the persistence and attractive power of nationalism in the
globalized world because it identifies it with the narrow-minded ethnocentric awareness. The author anticipates that
nationalism and internationalism are not opposed but twin ideologies that as such are a part of unique modern worldview.
Nationalistic awareness is an international awareness that is generated and cultivated by global political system of the
world and internationalisation of the world politics. Therefore, it is unacceptable to talk about nationalism without the
analysis of the relation of power on the regional and global level. This analysis will position on the same level nationalists
as well as official anti-nationalists, observing their ideologies as rational responses to the problem of uneven distribution of
power. Along with the conclusion that nationalism, as a modern Janus, is not responsible only for violence and war but
also for the fact that the world is, in spite of everything, nowadays far more democratic than it used to be before 1989 .
Keywords
nationalism; nation; national identities; globalisation; nation-state; sovereignty; official anti-nationalism; democracy
Hrčak ID:
9132
URI
Publication date:
15.1.2005.
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