The cultural foundations of nations : hierarchy, covenant and republic / Anthony D. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Anthony D.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

State, The.

Nationalism.

Physical Description:

xv, 245 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub., 2008.

Summary:

This major new work by Professor Anthony D. Smith challenges the notion of nationalism as a product of modernity. In a striking rejection of current orthodoxies, he demonstrates that different political forms of community and collective identity from premodern times have contributed to the formation of nations and determined the varied character of nations and nationalisms. His ideas derive from a lifetime's learning, distilled here into a concise, clear argument for scholars and novices alike.

Professor Smith identifies three main cultural traditions of antiquity: hierarchy, covenant, and civic republic. He argues that these distinctive traditions retained their hold over the European educated classes from England to Russia and from Sweden to Spain. He analyzes the chronology and nature of nations, from the ancient world to the European Middle Ages, the early modern, and the modern eras. He ends with a discussion of the alternative destinies facing modern nations as a result of their often multi-stranded character.

Contents:

Introduction: The Theoretical Debate 1

1 The Concept and Its Varieties 12

2 Ethnic and Religious Roots 28

3 Community in Antiquity 48

4 Hierarchical Nations 76

5 Covenantal Nations 107

6 Republican Nations 135

7 Alternative Destinies 160.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781405177993

1405177993

9781405177986

1405177985

OCLC:

148731584

Online:

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