Book contents
- Nations before the Nation-State
- Nations before the Nation-State
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 What Is a Nation? A Brief Historiography of Theories of the Nation
- 3 A Tale of Two Fatherlands
- 4 Post-Roman Transitions
- 5 Medieval Imperialism
- 6 Nationality and the Medieval “State” in France
- 7 The Nation at a Crossroads
- 8 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Index
8 - Conclusions
Rekindling Ancient and Medieval Concepts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 November 2024
- Nations before the Nation-State
- Nations before the Nation-State
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 What Is a Nation? A Brief Historiography of Theories of the Nation
- 3 A Tale of Two Fatherlands
- 4 Post-Roman Transitions
- 5 Medieval Imperialism
- 6 Nationality and the Medieval “State” in France
- 7 The Nation at a Crossroads
- 8 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The final chapter brings us back to the contemporary political dilemmas we face today and discusses how the recovery of premodern conceptions of the nation helps us think through the challenge of national pluralism and resurging nationalist sentiment. It encourages openness to some virtues of empire as a multinational form of politics, considers the merits of a pluralistic political order, and suggests new avenues for cultivating democratic solidarity in diverse polities. In particular, the chapter engages with liberal multiculturalist arguments to illustrate the advantages of medieval approaches to national diversity. In place of self-government rights, the book suggests legal pluralism and policies of recognitions as more fruitful arrangements for multinational polities. Moreover, the chapter applies the insights of the study to the European Union and the United States, respectively. It concludes by responding to a number of liberal nationalist concerns, especially the need for pre-political partnership to undergird democratic politics.
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- Nations before the Nation-StateBetween City-State and Empire from Antiquity to the Present, pp. 181 - 198Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024