Nation, as a concept
Political Globalization
O A large group of people formed together
(History of World on the basis of their shared identity as a
group.
Politics) O Elements: a) it should be a large group of
The Contemporary World people; b) genuine belief of
belongingness; c) such belief must spring
(Continuation [Chapter 3])
from shared identity as a group.
Nation is an imagined
community
O This is the view of Benedict Anderson. It is O It does mean that the concept of nation is merely
imagined in the sense that you will never made-up. The essence of this concept is all about
connection.
see the entire membership of this
O Likewise, in some communities, it is all about race
community. To constitute a nation, it being to statehood. Nation-builders can only feel a sense
sufficient that there is genuine belief of of fulfillment when that national ideal assumes an
belongingness. organizational form whose authority and power are
O It is also limited because it does not go recognized and accepted by the people. (e.g., non-
state communities seek autonomy within their
beyond an official boundary. A nation has mother states – Quebec & Canada).
its boundaries. National affiliation is not O Nation and state are closely related because it is
easy, unlike religious affiliation. nationalism that facilitates state formation.
Nation vs. State Grassroots of Present-day
State Nation Sovereignty
As to concept Political and legal Ethnic and
O It can be traced back to the Treaty of
cultural
Westphalia (1648), signed to end the 30-
As to emphasis The community as Individual
a political unit year war between major continental
As to scope Broader Restricted – powers of Europe.
typically focuses O After religious war between Catholics and
on the humanist
aspect of worldly Protestants, these major continental
interaction powers decided to implement a system
As to existence Cannot exist Can exist without that would recognize each signatory’s
without a nation statehood, albeit autonomy over its domestic affairs.
the lack of
statehood affects
its international
legitimacy
O The system provided stability for the nations of O The invasive quest of Napoleon ended in
Europe until it was challenged by Napoleon 1815 during the Battle of Waterloo at the
Bonaparte. instance of Anglo and Prussian armies.
O Bonaparte: principles of French revolution should O To preserve status quo, the royal powers
be promoted, i.e. liberty, equality, and fraternity. In effectively restored the Westphalian system –
effect, it challenged nobility system in Europe.
Concert of Europe. It sought to restore the
O Napoleonic wars started from 1803-1815. In every
country they conquered, they imposed the
sovereignty of states. It lasted from 1815 until
Napoleonic code – forbade birth privileges, 1914.
encouraged freedom of religion, and promoted O Although it already collapsed, the system
meritocracy in government service. This did not go impacted modern-day politics – Napoleonic
well with the monarchies and hereditary elites of attempts to impose systems of government in
Europe. other counties are frowned upon.
Internationalism Forms of Internationalism
O Despite the autonomy being enjoyed by 1. Liberal internationalism.
sovereign states, there have been attempts to
transcend it: O Immanuel Kant – there must be a form of
1. Direct challenge (e.g., Napoleonic global government.
conquest) O Jeremy Bentham (coined the term
2. Transcendental systems of governance that “international” in 1780) – advocated the
go beyond, but do not necessarily challenge creation of international law to govern
sovereignty – by fostering heightened
interaction between various sovereign inter-state relations. Objective global
states, particularly the desire for greater legislators should aim to propose
cooperation and unity among states and legislation that would create the greatest
peoples. This desire is called happiness of all nations taken together.
internationalism.
Criticism vs. Liberal O Mazzini influenced the thinking of US
President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921).
internationalism O Wilson: Nationalism is a prerequisite for
O Tends to interfere with national internationalism. He forwarded the
sovereignty. Thus, there is a need to principle of self-determination – the belief
reconcile nationalism with liberal that the world’s nations had a right to a
internationalism. free and sovereign government.
O Giuseppe Mazzini: believed in a
O Wilson therefore advocated the creation of
Republican government and proposed a
system of free nations that cooperated the League of Nations. At the end of WWI
with each other to create an international in 1918, he pushed to transform the
system. Free and independent states league into a venue for conciliation and
would be the basis of an equally free, arbitration.
cooperative international system.
Socialist Internationalism
O The League of Nations failed principally O One of Mazzini’s biggest critics was
because of the failure of Wilson to secure German socialist philosopher Karl Marx,
the support of US Senate. an internationalist, but who differed from
O Despite its failure, the League gave birth the former because he did not believe in
to some of the more task-specific nationalism.
international organizations that are still O Marx: any true form of internationalism
around until today, e.g. WHO and ILO. should deliberately reject nationalism,
which rooted people in domestic concerns
instead of global ones.
O Marx placed a premium on economic equality,
but he did not divide the world into countries,
but into classes, e.g. the capitalist class (the
owners of means of production) [bourgeoisie],
and the proletariat (those who work for the O Marx died in 1983, but his followers
capitalists). sought to make his vision concrete by
O Marx: there has to be a socialist revolution establishing the Socialist International (SI)
seeking to overthrow the state and alter the – a union of European socialist and labor
economy – the proletariat had no nation. parties established in Paris in 1889.
“Workers of the world, unite! You have
nothing to lose but your chains.” O It is a democratic way of concretizing the
O Marx opposed nationalism because it vision of Marx.
prevented the unification of the world’s O Major accomplishments: Labor day,
workers. Nationalism identifies workers with International Women’s day, Prescribed
the capitalists of their countries.
work hours.
Post-SI
O The SI collapsed during the World War I O After SI collapsed, a more radical version
as the member parties refused or were emerged. During the Russian Revolution in
unable to join the internationalist efforts. 1917, Czar Nicholas II was overthrown and
replaced by revolutionary government led by
O It confirmed Marx’s warning – when
Bolshevik Party and its leader, Vladimir Lenin.
workers and their organizations take side This new state was called the Union of Soviet
of their countries instead of each other, Socialist Republics (USSR).
their long-term interests are compromised. O Bolsheviks did not believe in obtaining power
for the working class through elections.
O Rather, they exhorted the revolutionary O To encourage these socialist revolutions
vanguard parties to lead the revolutions around the world, Lenin established the
across the world. Communist International (Comintern) in
1919.
O Today, parties like this are referred to as
O It served as the central body for directing
Communist parties. Communist parties all over the world.
O Global community feared the Comintern
as most believed that it was working only
to stir up revolutions in their countries
(which was true).
O A problem arose during the World War II O For the post-war period, liberal
when the Soviet Union joined the Allied internationalism would once again be
Powers in 1941. The US and UK would ascendant.
not trust the Soviet Union in their fight O UN became the center of global
against Hitler’s Germany, owing to the governance.
aforementioned presupposition.
O To appease his allies, Lenin’s successor,
Joseph Stalin, dissolved the Comintern in
1943.