Gellner’s exploration of nationalism, born out of his academic curiosity at the University of Cambridge, culminated in the establishment of the Center for the Study of Nationalism in 1995. This essay delves into Gellner’s profound thoughts on the essence of nationalism, tracing its roots to the industrial revolution and its impact on the formation of nations. Gellner argues that nationalism is the pivotal political principle aligning the political and national unit. As populations settled globally, the need for a common identity arose, giving birth to nations bound by culture, language, and shared history.
The essay examines the evolution of national identity, from the synthesis of common cultures to the rise of low-folk and high-folk distinctions within a unified language. Gellner contends that the unity forged by nationalism facilitated the movement of labor within cities, leading to the growth of great nations like London, Paris, and Berlin. Critiquing Elie Kedourie’s theory, Gellner emphasizes nationalism as a transformative force, shaping societies from agrarian to industrial.
Gellner’s narrative unfolds through chapters, exploring the modernized perception of nationalism and its role in societal changes. He asserts that humanity’s insatiable thirst for knowledge is the catalyst for civilization and, ultimately, nationalism. Gellner contends that high culture is not just a requirement but an inevitable component for industrialization. However, the debate lingers on whether only a nation-state can sustain high culture, especially for populations detached from their agrarian roots.
The essay scrutinizes Gellner’s belief that the complexity of human thoughts propels economic progress and refines culture. The intricate labor systems, according to Gellner, demand refined communication for the evolution of both society and culture. The importance of ‘Will and Culture’ surfaces in Chapter 5, with Gellner positing that these forces are essential for the development of nationalism, even if it requires excluding minorities to achieve a refined state.
While Gellner constructs a compelling framework for understanding Nations and Nationalism, the essay acknowledges existing issues and debates. The interpretation of nationalism varies among scholars, yet a common thread remains—an amalgamation of populations with shared roots, language, and past. Gellner’s meticulous exploration, particularly of the concept of ‘Will,’ invites readers to navigate the complexities of nationalism, challenging preconceived notions.
Essay on Gellner’s Nations and Nationalism:
Gellner’s curiousness in nationalism has sprouted when he was in the University of Cambridge.
It was this interest then later made him to establish the Center for the Study of Nationalism in
1995 as a part of the Central European University in Prague. His classic thoughts and philosophy
leaped into the heart of what Nationalism is? Or what is mean by Nationalism? Because only
through these thoughts, or leaping deep into the thought of Nationalism, the very notion of how
nation was originated can be understood. The author affirms the main reason of the birth of a
nation or why a nation is born; it is the inborn ideal of nationalism which in turn makes the
nation. Geller’s argues that nationalism is the primary political principle which holds that the
political and national unit should be congruent. Hence Nations are born or took birth when the
push of industrial revolution created demands within the territory of a culture.
Right after the people around the globe started settling in different places around the world, it
was indeed a need to provide a common identity to all the settlers. These settlers occupied in the
cities, and then later migrated to the country-sides and suburbs. And a common culture was later
got synthesized, even language, by these settlers which persisted the world to see them as a
single identity. With the increase of population the demand increase for the capitalism for the
survival as well as for the development of the land they got settled in. It is also important to
understand that it these demands that created the unity among these cultures; that includes the
culture, language and to a certain percentage sharing a common past. When these population
and culture flourished, the community itself was divided into two, on the nature of low folk
culture and the high-folk culture, but always bound by one language. When this identity was
born, the population of workers who are bound by the culture and language started working for
not only for their wellbeing, but towards the feeling of that nation; because for them it is clear
that if their culture and population have to survive, there is a great need of a nation and
nationhood that need engraved into their ideal as an individual.
Once this unity and identity got engraved in their ideal as a nation and brotherhood, the
convenience within the culture became more prompt for the workforce to travel around the cities,
and the common culture as well as language made them integrated and convenient for seeking
new horizons within that nationhood. And this behavior flourished throughout in the cities like
London, Paris and Berlin, so then to become great nation’s then onward in the time of history.
The whole thought of Gellener was synthesized over his argument on the theory of Elie Kedourie
that he thought lacked complexity and only has intellectual thoughts to empower it.
Gellener kept the ideal while arguing the very concept of nationalism is the most mighty force
that integrates the elements that opens up way for the earth-depended farming population to the
more civilized industrial society through which the very society they evolved into becomes an
integrated political state, which enables the population to become more cultured, civilized and
above all knowledgeable. And this very notion in turn makes the population to take pride upon
their nationality and nationhood.
Through following chapters Gellner develops the theory of nationalism through a modernized
perception, he also underpin the very unparallel dynamism from the past that influence the
societal change from an uncultivated culture to a more refined culture that lead to the formation
of modern society. Gellner also explains the drastic transformation bought forth by the social
understructure into an overwhelming political system which contributed to the betterment of
industrial revolution and then the industrialization. The most important part of Gellner’s
explanation on this transformation is clarified with the notion that human as a curious animal in
other words the man’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge. For Gellner, the undefeated man’s
quest towards understanding and knowing is the way in which pave path for the rising of
knowledge and culture. He believed it is this that played an important role in the rise of
civilization and in the end ideal of nationalism. With each stride of attaining the knowledge,
humans as a civilized animal attained new heights in culture. So with this very idea, mankind
formulated that with high-knowledge attains the high-cultural value, hence it is this high-culture
that manures the seed of industrialization in its very core. Hence high-culture according to
Gellner is not only a requirement, rather an inevitable component for the industrialization. But
Gellener’s thought that only a state of a nation could bring and sustain the idea of high-culture,
especially for a population who had deracinated from their early agrarian culture is still a
debatable thought.
He also asserts the very growth of industry is because of the increase in complexity of the man’s
thoughts, which then lead to the progress of the overall economy. He also argues that it is this
complexity of thoughts that lead the human culture to become more refined in the course of time.
Hence there should be a constant communication that becomes the spine and nervous system of
the whole population in order for the growth and sustainability of this evolved industrial society.
This can be understood more clearly by viewing the complexity of different labor system, and
the way in which they are divided, hence according to Gellner this complexity demands
communication in the most refined form, for the evolving society and the culture. Because for
the evolution of a high-culture according to Gellner requires a society in the perspective of a
nation which is equally high and efficient.
In chapter 5, Gellner finds the importance of ‘Will and Culture’; he affirms that only through
these ideal forces a nation could develop the sense of nationality or in other words nationalism. It
is these ideal forces that pave way for the evolution of nationalism in the end. Through engraving
the very idea of Nationalism, he also affirms the notion of excluding the minority within the
nation to attain this refined state of nationalism among the culture and society. So for this
minority to attain the nationalism attained by the overall society and high-culture it is important
to have a political power in order for the overall transformation. Only through this the fictional
country of Ruritania, becomes the target or the mission of every nationalist.
Although Gellner have synthesized a perfect thought system for the ideal of the formation of the
Nations and Nationalism, there are several issues constraining this very ideology to it to question
on various aspects. It can be affirmed that understanding the very meaning and ideal of
Nationalism is not a hard-deal now, mainly as a phenomenon of politics. The very idea of
nationalism was interpreted many ways through many scholars throughout the history; from
Kedourie to Gellner, it represents a common term however the ideology these scholars suggests
differs quite differently in its core aspects.
That is although there are many thoughts on Nationalism; the definition for the core prospect of
nationalism always remains the same. Hence it is nothing but a will of a population especially
political in nature that has came from same land and settled together in another land, with a
common language and past. This point to the fact that there was never a sole political thought in
order to clench a single will of political in nature. The true meaning and symbolism of ‘Will’ was
well thought out by Gellner, and this is the sole reason why he devoted two chapters for
explaining it more in clarity and depth. Although the point was clear on will, Gellner wisely
never include the idea of will with nationalism. Instead of it, he implied the same notion through
the word ‘principle’ for the readers not to grasp the very ideology directly, but to make room for
the idea to evolve and flourish, and this also can be evident by analyzing his verbal charge
towards the ideology of communism and Islamism. It is clear to every reader that both the words
projected by Gellner in the same perspective are ideologically, philosophically and linguistically
different in the very nature.
The political units are comprised of multiple party structures especially in the European and the
American nations. And this multi-political system is operated with different ideology of
political, religious and philosophical in nature, which is operated by various political and
ethnical entities. This system of bifurcation always projects the need, interest and requirement of
a labor system within that nation. And the very concept of nationalism will always be one of the
thought of a specific political party in which they share their thoughts, ideas and philosophies of
national dreams and culture. Hence for this reason the very ideology of nationalism, cannot be
identified as a political principle, rather it is a political will upheld or endorsed by a specific
political party. And by this they aim to conquer the demands and requirements of various labor
segments.