France is often regarded as one of the first modern Western nations in the world. This chapter attempts to address the origins and development of the French nation and the impact of European regionalism/globalization on it. It seems that there are two types of French nationalism: open nationalism and closed nationalism; the former is broader and closer to the concept of citizenship, and tends to be more inclusive, while the latter is narrower and closer to the concept of ethnic-nation. There have been conflicts between these two concepts in France. But what is more important is the challenge of European regionalism and globalization, which may dilute French nationalism.

The Origin and Development of the Modern French Nation

The French Revolution was a very important moment in French history. It was indeed during the Revolution that the motto of France — liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality, fraternity) — was coined. As a result of the Revolution, all people residing in France became citizens without any distinction, unlike in the past. People began to call one another citoyen (citizen) instead of the usual “Monsieur “or “Madame” (Mr or Mrs). Thus, by the end of the eighteenth century in France, the idea of equality was firmly established.

In discussing the idea of nation in France, the first name that comes to mind is Ernest Renan, who delivered a lecture entitled “Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?” (What is a nation?) at the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1882. The lecture was important in the sense that the concept of nation addressed differed from the earlier concept of nation defined by the German philosopher Fitche, who had argued that the most important element in a nation is its common language. Fitche wrote earlier (1807–8) and addressed the issue of the German nation. The purpose was “to reawaken the spirit of the German people after the defeat of Prussia by Napoleon in 1806–07” (1956, p. xiii).