Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood: The Birth of Self-Determination

Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood explores the development of the idea that every nation is entitled to its own state, arguing that this is one of the most fateful coincidences of modernity. It has imposed an isomorphism of language, culture, and politics upon the world, pre-determining democratic practice and leading to the assumption that every nation may become a state.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 112 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood delves into the evolution of the notion that every nation, typically defined as a linguistic community, deserves its own sovereign state. This comprehensive book, drawing upon recent studies of nationalism, critically examines the unique convergence of cultural nations and political states that emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The author contends that this convergence is one of modernity's most significant coincidences, deeply ingrained in contemporary consciousness, yet its consequences have been profound. The conflation of cultural nation and political state has imposed a homogenization of language, culture, and politics on the global stage. It has predefined democratic practices by asserting that the will of the people can only be the will of a particular people. Moreover, it has fostered the belief that every nation has the potential to become a state.

The originality of this book lies in tracing the genesis and evolution of this curious contemporary assumption over time. It provides an unconventional perspective on the development of nationalism and world history, making it valuable for upper-level students, scholars, and researchers in the fields of European history, nationalism, and self-determination.

Weight: 220g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032228327