Nationalism
Nationalism is an ideology that makes the nation a central basis of political identity and seeks its autonomy, unity, or self-government.
Nation: A community understood as sharing a political identity, often grounded in history, culture, language, or territory. Nationalism treats this imagined political community as a basis for political claims.
French Revolution: The political revolution that began in France in 1789 and transformed its monarchy, institutions, and social order. It made popular sovereignty and citizenship central to a modern national political project.
Civic nationalism: A form of nationalism that defines membership primarily through citizenship and shared political principles. It contrasts with national membership grounded chiefly in ancestry or inherited culture.
Nation-state: A sovereign state whose population is understood as forming a nation. Nationalist movements often seek this alignment of political borders and national community.
Benedict Anderson: A political scientist whose book Imagined Communities analyzed nations as socially constructed communities. His account explains how shared media and institutions foster national belonging.
National identity: A sense of belonging to a nation and identifying with its shared symbols, history, or culture. It turns national membership into a source of personal and collective allegiance.
American Revolution: The movement and war through which thirteen British colonies in North America established an independent republic. It connected resistance to imperial rule with claims of self-government.
Ethnic nationalism: A form of nationalism that defines the nation through shared ancestry, culture, or descent. It shows how nationalist belonging can be tied to inherited identity.
Decolonization: The process by which colonies gained independence from imperial powers, especially during the twentieth century. Nationalist movements helped mobilize demands for independence from colonial rule.
Ernest Gellner: A philosopher and social theorist who linked nationalism to industrial society and standardized culture. He argued that modern economic life creates pressures for cultural and political uniformity.