Multiculturalism and the Nation in Germany

Paul Carls obtained a PhD in political science from the Université de Montréal in 2020, was a course lecturer at the same institution, and completed a post-doctoral stay at the Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research.

"Paul Carls casts a spotlight on the reappearance of militant antagonisms between neo-nationalist movements and their opponents in the context of the world refugee crisis. Adapting Durkheim’s sociology of religion, Carls shows how collective representations, such as cultural images of the Nazi and anti-Nazi past, multiply social mobilization over and above economic issues and class locations. A work of dramatic impact with strong theoretical underpinnings." - Randall Collins, author of Explosive Conflict: Time-Dynamics of Violence"This is an exceptionally interesting examination of the moral dimension of political life. Drawing on a deep and extensive knowledge of the thought of Durkheim and his followers, Carls reveals its surprising power to illuminate conflicts in Germany generated by the 2015 refugee crisis, by focusing on what the contending social and political movements held to be sacred in their idealized visions of community." - Steven Lukes, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, New York University" ... an important contribution in the field of comparative extremism research." - Uwe Backes, Politics, Religion & Ideology" … for anyone interested in knowing why questions surrounding German identity are now emboldening a growing far right, Carls’ book will no doubt be a useful resource." - Omran Shroufi, German Politics“Paul Carls’ work touches on a key question: how do Germans define what it means to be German? Should the definition of “German” include migrants or not? Carls examines the views of German groups from across the political spectrum to this vital question. [It is] rooted in Emile Durkheim’s concept of “Moral Facts" [and] rich in useful insights.” - Randall Newnham, Penn State University, USA

• Introduction 1. The Study of Moral Facts 2. A Moral History of Postwar Germany 3. The Moral Ideal of Constitutional Patriotism 4. The German State’s Fight Against Hate Speech 5. The Moral Ideal of Non-Domination: The Ideology of the Autonomen 6. Violence and Solidarity: Autonomen Ritual Violence 7. The Moral Ideal of the Nation: Between the Ethno-Cultural Nation and the Volksgemeinschaft 8. The Takeover of the AfD by the Flügel 9. Cultural Alienation: The Nation and the Loss of the Feeling of "Home" 10. The Ritual Violence of the Far Right Conclusion