Theorizing Nationalism

Ronald Beiner is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He is the editor of Theorizing Citizenship, also published by SUNY Press, and the recipient of the Canadian Political Science Association's Macpherson Prize for What's the Matter with Liberalism?

"It is exceptional to have so many of the leading figures in the debate all together in one volume. Unlike most volumes of collected essays which are the proceedings of a conference where the papers are often of very different quality, all these essays are strong. With the rise of ethnic and nationalist movements in the former Soviet bloc at the same time that globalization is supposed to be taking place, there is a great deal of interest in nationalism and its civic appeal. Furthermore, in academic circles the issue of whether or not nationalism can be benign (liberal), which is covered wonderfully in this book, is very important in the debate about liberalism, communitarianism, and civic republicanism." — Simone Chambers, University of Colorado at Boulder"Beiner has selected some of the best, most thoughtful discussions in political theory on nationalism. There is a lot of work on nationalism by sociologists and historians, but this volume incorporates work by political philosophers and political theorists. It therefore performs a valuable, and much needed, service." — Margaret Moore, University of Waterloo"Theorizing Nationalism is an excellent collection of essays on a topic that is highly significant, to say the least. Beiner has done us a favor by drawing into one volume thought-provoking essays that previously were scattered in many places. Besides the virtue of its high quality, this book stands out for highlighting political theoretical and philosophical reflections on the national question. Few if any other collections have this disciplinary bent." — Joan Cocks, Mount Holyoke College

• Acknowledgments Introduction: Nationalism's Challenge to Political PhilosophyRonald Beiner Chapter 1 NationalismJohn Dunn Chapter 2 Theorizing Nationalism (Normatively): The First StepsWayne Norman Chapter 3 Theoretical Difficulties in the Study of NationalismYael Tamir Chapter 4 Nationalism and the Narcissism of Minor DifferencesMichael Ignatieff Chapter 5 The Myth of the Civic NationBernard Yack Chapter 6 Cultural Nationalism, Neither Ethnic nor CivicKai Nielsen Chapter 7 Misunderstanding NationalismWill Kymlicka Chapter 8 Modernity and Cultural Vulnerability: Should Ethnicity Be Privileged?Brian Walker Chapter 9 How Liberal Can Nationalism Be?Judith Lichtenberg Chapter 10 Nation and NationalismNeil MacCormick Chapter 11 The New Tribalism: Notes on a Difficult ProblemMichael Walzer Chapter 12 Nationalism and ModernityCharles Taylor Chapter 13 Self-Government RevisitedBrian Barry Chapter 14 The First Person PluralRoger Scruton Chapter 15 The Incoherence of NationalismBhikhu Parekh Contributors Index