The Nation State
V.G. Kiernan finds a new book on this key topic challenging and stimulating
Nationalism and the State by John Breuilly
421 pp. (Manchester University Press, 1982)
John Breuilly's aim is to fill what he regards as a serious gap in theories of nationalism, by means of a comparative historical study. His central point is 'the key role played by the modern state in shaping nationalism'. Nationalism is defined as the creed of 'political movements seeking or exercising state power' and justifying their actions with 'nationalist arguments', i.e. with appeals to the nation's overriding 'interests and values'.
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