Human nature

• Identity linked to: language, culture, ethnicity, geography and religion
• In many cases seems irrational in particular when partiotism leads to intense and emotional ideas e.g beliefs in nation or races being superior to others
• Culturalism suggests a shared culture is key and ideas focused on volkgeist suggest that nationhood is a central part of people's character with an emotional attachment to the nation. Combination of belief in racial ethnic superiority and cultural superiortiy has lead to movements such as the nazis the germany and fascists in Italy.
• Civic nationalism and liberal nationalism are rational. - focusing on equality, respect and cooperation.
• Nationalists on human nature highlight irrationality
• Nationalism is generally seen as viewing human nature as irrational as a key part of people's identity is their 'nation'. This is not something that is chosen or can be changed.
• Johann Gottfried Von herder wrote of a folk having a volksgeist - spirit that binds people together. It can be based on shared language and culture is superior.
• Herder rejected liberal universal ideals
• Herder's idea of german nationalism was based on language not race. The nazis version of german nationalism focused on race as well as language and culture was therefore different to his but their idea of 'volksgemienschaff' - a peoples community can be linked to his idea
• Concept of the nation:

  • there is not a single thing that makes a nation, the concept can be based on:
  • Language - conservative nationalism - Ideas of herder - shared history binds together
  • Religion - jewish identity connects religion and nation. Some islamic leaders have connected religion and nationalism (Gaddafi)
• Concept of the nation:

  • Culture - britain multinational and multi - ethnic but has shared history and culture
  • Ethnicity - not always the case that nation matches a single ethnic group but is seen in China, Japan and scandinavian countries. Can lead to nativism in multi-ethnic nations
  • Geography - attachment to a particular territory. e.g 'Mother russia'
• strong connection:

  • Nationalism may stem from one or several of these concepts
  • Nationalists agree that the connection will be strong and shape the people of the nation making them distint from the people ofo ther nations
  • The strong beliefs in cultural or racial basis for nationalism can have very strong impacts on behaviour can have very strong impacts on behaviour and how people treat each other and lead to highly irrational beliefs and behaviour.
• Cultural nationalism:

  • liberal cultural nationalism: When a distincitve culture is under threat, normally because it exists within a state with a differnet dominant culture e.g Welsh in britain, Bretons in france. Tend to seek protection and support rather than indepedence.
  • Ultra - conservative belief that a culture is superior to others can lead to militarism and expansionism
  • Fascism combines cultural and ethnic nationalism
• Racialism and racism

  • Racialism sees race as the key element of national identity
  • Often leads to the idea of one race being favoured over otehrs wit hthe nation state. This can take the form of nativism suggesting the original group/ group who arrived first should receive economic and political preference
  • Racism - racial group believes it is superior leading to the oppression of other races - Nazi germany, Apartheid in South Africa