Ernest Gellner: Nations and nationalism

Résumé du document

Ernest Gellner's Nations and Nationalism , which was published in 1983, is a core reading for the study of eighteenth and nineteenth-century European history for it cleverly conceptualizes notions –namely nationalism and nation-state- that are essential components of that period. The course Culture and Politics in Europe 1700-1870 embraces historical events as well as cultural, social, economic and politic trends and among all, the birth of the nation-state is one of the major concepts it studies. The review will mainly focus on chapters one to seven of Gellner's book for they are the only chapters relevant for the course. The aim is to show to what extent this text is essential to the study of culture and politics in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Europe and, consequently, how it helped me in my studies and why it was selected by the lecturer.

Extraits

[...] Gellner's Nations and Nationalism is an impressive theoretical essay that stimulates political and historical thinking. It is perfectly appropriate to a course such as Culture and Politics in Europe: 1700-1870 for this is a course that not only deals with historical facts but requires a deep understanding of the political and cultural concepts of that period. More precisely, Gellner exposes the mechanisms of the birth of national sentiments and therefore facilitate studies on nineteenth-century European nation-building. Ernest Gellner (1983), Nations and Nationalism, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. [...]

[...] But as I may see it after reading Nations and Nationalism, nationalism is most of the time an attempt to renew and reaffirm the existence of a nation. It is not a widely spread sentiment whenever the nation is harmoniously cohesive and not threaten by external allegiances (as it is today with the European Union). What turned out to be quite difficult for me was that this text is almost only theoretical. Few examples taken from real history are used in order to prove or illustrate the theory. [...]

[...] Actually, in Gellner's book names and events are mentioned, yet not developed. His duty is not to describe historical facts but through the reference to names and events, he enables the reader to establish a connection with real history. In that respect, the chapter ‘Typologies of nationalism' is of the utmost interest. It permitted me to set up a concrete link with other more historical readings. In this chapter, Gellner first conceptualised the nationalist phenomenon by creating categories and schemes; then he provided the reader with an historical illustration for each specific case of the model. [...]

[...] However, Adrian Lyttelton reproached Gellner to affirm that any tradition or historical events could be useful to nationalists[15]. In actual fact, some do not help to the construction of the nation that is why, in order to discover how nationalism proceeds, Lyttelton found it necessary to bring out some of the major elements of Italian history that had been used by nationalists. A process of conceptualisation was highly necessary since Italy's limits were, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, far from being obvious. [...]

[...] Ernest Gellner, in Nations and Nationalism[2], argues that is nationalism which engenders nations, and not the other way round”. Such a statement can seem contradictory at a time when the word ‘nationalism' is more generally seen as a feeling of pride for one's country and as a belief that the latter is superior to other countries. However, Gellner's words are interesting as far as the study of nineteenth-century Europe is concerned. It is actually relevant to wonder to what extent it can be argued that, at that time in Europe, nationalisms developed and produced nations (as a feeling and a political reality). [...]