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For Gellner, "nationalism is primarily a political principle that holds that the political and the national unit should be congruent". Nationalism only appeared, and, Gellner argues, became a sociological necessity in the modern world. In previous times ("the agro-literate" stage of history) rulers had little incentive to impose cultural homogeneity on the ruled. But in modern society, work becomes technical. One must operate a machine, and as such one must learn. There is a need for impersonal, context-free communication and a high degree of cultural standardization.
Furthermore, industrial society is underlined by the fact that there is perpetual growth - employment types vary and new skills must be learned. Thus, generic employment training precedes specialized job training.
On a territorial level, there is competition for the overlapping catchment areas (e.g. Alsace-Lorraine). To maintain its grip on resources, and its survival and progress, the state and culture must for these reasons be congruent. Nationalism therefore is a necessity.
Reading
- Words and Things 1959
- Thought and Change
- Saints of the Atlas
- Contemporary Thought and Politics
- The Devil in Modern Philosophy
- Legitimation of Belief
- Spectacles and Predicaments
- Muslim Society
- Nations and Nationalism
- The Concept of Kinship and Other Essays
- Relativism and the Social Sciences
- The Psychoanalytic Movement
- Culture, Identity and Politics
- State and Society in Soviet Thought
- Plough, Sword and Book 1988
Writing available on the net
Commentaries
Obit http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/Gellner/Gellner.html
Ernest Gellner Nationalism Lecture
Quotations