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Nacionalismus
Kniha je shrnutím autorovy teorie nacionalismu jakožto aspektu modernity. Jeho dřívější práce na stejné téma pod názvem Národy a nacionalismus (původní vydání v angličtině 1983, český překlad ve dvou vydáních v 90. letech) zastarala tím, co vše se stalo od doby jejího vydání zejména ve střední a východní Evropě. Právě proto Ernest Gellner napsal novou knihu, která již reaguje na pád komunismu, válku v Jugoslávii i rozpad Sovětského svazu a Československa. Gellner také do Nacionalismu zapracoval svoje reakce na kritiku své teorie nacionalismu, která se objevila v řadě recenzí a nových zpracování tématu jinými autory.
133 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Ernest Gellner
47 books105 followersErnest Gellner was a prominent British-Czech philosopher, social anthropologist, and writer on nationalism.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 21, 2026
کتاب ناسیونالیسم از ارنست گلنر که دیدم توی گودریدز نسخه فارسیش به شکل درستی ایجاد نشده بود و با نسخه انگلیسی مطابقت نداشت برای همین روی نسخه انگلیسی ریویو می‌نویسم.
کتاب در عین کوتاه بودن سخت‌خوان هستش و نویسنده به شکل خیلی فشرده و ثقیلی سعی کرده در خصوص ناسیونالیسم و تئوری مطرح‌شده از طرف خودش صحبت کنه. برخی بخش‌های این تئوری که مثلا گام‌های حرکت یک جامعه به سمت ناسیونالیسم بود برای من جالب بود. بخش‌هایی هم در خصوص دین و ناسیونالیسم داشت که ارتباط پروتستان و ناسیونالیسم هم جذاب بود ولی دیدگاه نویسنده در خصوص اسلام یخورده سطحی بود و با نتیجه‌گیری‌هاش در خصوص بنیادگرایی اسلامی و ناسیونالیسم خیلی موافق نبودم
در کل با اینکه حجم کمی داره، در ابتدا به نظر میرسه برای شروع مبحث ناسیونالیسم خوب باشه ولی کتاب سنگینی هستش.
کتاب در عین کوتاه بودن سخت‌خوان هستش و نویسنده به شکل خیلی فشرده و ثقیلی سعی کرده در خصوص ناسیونالیسم و تئوری مطرح‌شده از طرف خودش صحبت کنه. برخی بخش‌های این تئوری که مثلا گام‌های حرکت یک جامعه به سمت ناسیونالیسم بود برای من جالب بود. بخش‌هایی هم در خصوص دین و ناسیونالیسم داشت که ارتباط پروتستان و ناسیونالیسم هم جذاب بود ولی دیدگاه نویسنده در خصوص اسلام یخورده سطحی بود و با نتیجه‌گیری‌هاش در خصوص بنیادگرایی اسلامی و ناسیونالیسم خیلی موافق نبودم
در کل با اینکه حجم کمی داره، در ابتدا به نظر میرسه برای شروع مبحث ناسیونالیسم خوب باشه ولی کتاب سنگینی هستش.
February 22, 2012
This book is probably the soundest theory on Nationalism in print. However it is littered with flaws. His definition of a state is not basic but exceptionally post modern and admits in some parts that there are indeed imperfections within his statements and admits to over looking them (think about Greece and the Balkans as being industrialized). Further the history of the Balkan region is oversimplified and tragically off.
February 27, 2014
Excellent introduction on the studies of nationalism from a modernist perspective.
August 30, 2021
Nationalism is a good introduction to Gellner's theory of nationalism. To be clear, this is not a general introduction to nationalism. Apart from discussing his widely acclaimed modernist interpretation of nationalism, Gellner also engages with some arguments against his theory. In so doing, he locates and clarifies his intellectual position on nationalism. At the beginning of the book, he prepares the ground for his theory by discussing history of mankind as well as the role of culture and social organization in human societies over time.
Nationalism, according to Gellner, is mainly a product of industrialization. It is the homogenizing imperative of industrial economy that facilitates the emergence of nationalism in a society. He stresses the necessities of industrial society, such as general education for the development of manpower, the necessity of semantic/uniform communication for efficiency, creation of high culture as distinct from folk culture and so forth, as conducive to the formation of nationalism. He is careful not to deny the genuine passion that nationalist sentiments arouse. However, nationalist sentiments are not evenly shared in a plural society and the boundaries/symbols/narratives of nationalism are subject to contestation.
His chapters on Marxism, Islam and Nationalism are particularly interesting. His discusses the decline of Marxism and the ascendance of Islam in the modern world, where secularization was supposed to have prevailed. For Gellner, Islam is marked by "a high level of modernity" (monotheism, low load of magic, non-mediation, transcendentalism) which make it adaptable to the modern world unlike Marxism which is characterized by "total modernity" (elimination of sacred/profane bifurcation, sacralization of this mundane world) which does not satisfy the prevalent social conditions. Islam, in this view, can be a competitor to nationalism but nationalism may also work hand-in-glove with any religion. In the latter case, religion is often invoked in nationalist assertions as as form of identity rather than as a matter of dogma.
Gellner opposes any enlightened preaching against nationalism. He argues that some places and people simply need nationalism more than others. In the last chapter, he teases out some practical implications of the understanding of nationalism. Before effecting any radical change inspired by nationalism, he underlines that nationalist movements or any government should be guided by considerations such as stability/continuity, affluence/economic growth, de-fetishization of land, acceptance of pluralism, balance between centralization and decentralization, and so forth.
Nationalism, according to Gellner, is mainly a product of industrialization. It is the homogenizing imperative of industrial economy that facilitates the emergence of nationalism in a society. He stresses the necessities of industrial society, such as general education for the development of manpower, the necessity of semantic/uniform communication for efficiency, creation of high culture as distinct from folk culture and so forth, as conducive to the formation of nationalism. He is careful not to deny the genuine passion that nationalist sentiments arouse. However, nationalist sentiments are not evenly shared in a plural society and the boundaries/symbols/narratives of nationalism are subject to contestation.
His chapters on Marxism, Islam and Nationalism are particularly interesting. His discusses the decline of Marxism and the ascendance of Islam in the modern world, where secularization was supposed to have prevailed. For Gellner, Islam is marked by "a high level of modernity" (monotheism, low load of magic, non-mediation, transcendentalism) which make it adaptable to the modern world unlike Marxism which is characterized by "total modernity" (elimination of sacred/profane bifurcation, sacralization of this mundane world) which does not satisfy the prevalent social conditions. Islam, in this view, can be a competitor to nationalism but nationalism may also work hand-in-glove with any religion. In the latter case, religion is often invoked in nationalist assertions as as form of identity rather than as a matter of dogma.
Gellner opposes any enlightened preaching against nationalism. He argues that some places and people simply need nationalism more than others. In the last chapter, he teases out some practical implications of the understanding of nationalism. Before effecting any radical change inspired by nationalism, he underlines that nationalist movements or any government should be guided by considerations such as stability/continuity, affluence/economic growth, de-fetishization of land, acceptance of pluralism, balance between centralization and decentralization, and so forth.
May 17, 2020
Not an introductiory book on nationalism, as the title might imply, but a great read nonetheless. Gellner's almost literary style makes the academic book a thrilling read, although it reqires a lot of background knowledge on nationalism to understand the ideas.
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October 18, 2022Ngl this was actually rlly good.
September 23, 2026
This book reads like a collection of articles hastily put together without paying heed to continuity, thereby preventing the argument to unfold in a transparent manner. I would recommend reading the book selectively. After reading chapters 1-7, in which Gellner explains how nations are ‘invented’ in the 19th century by the conscious joining together of culture and state power, I would skip chapters 8-14, as they just contain digressions and distract from the central argument.
I would then pick it up again at the penultimate chapter 15 “Do nations have navels” in which Gellner sums up the dialectic of the debate between primordialists and modernists before coming down on the side of the latter and presenting some interesting examples. In fact, I am puzzled that this chapter was not placed at the start of the book, since the tension between these two views is so central to the study of nationalism. Gellner essentially argues that with some exceptions, most nations were inventions were either inventions of nationalist propaganda or even self-conscious inventions without propaganda whatsoever.
I would then pick it up again at the penultimate chapter 15 “Do nations have navels” in which Gellner sums up the dialectic of the debate between primordialists and modernists before coming down on the side of the latter and presenting some interesting examples. In fact, I am puzzled that this chapter was not placed at the start of the book, since the tension between these two views is so central to the study of nationalism. Gellner essentially argues that with some exceptions, most nations were inventions were either inventions of nationalist propaganda or even self-conscious inventions without propaganda whatsoever.
December 25, 2024
To be honest I didn’t finish it. Obviously, Gellner is absolutely correct about nationalism being a fairly recent phenomenon and a product od the industrial revolution. I would even go as far as to say that the chapters on the connection between capitalism and industrialism and his analysis of agricultural societies are insightful. However, the rest of the book is just historical idealist drivel. Gellner rejects Marx (who he absolutely does not understand) snd his book is worse off for it, incomplete. Apparently, both the liberal and marxist ideas of nationalism are wrong. Gellner proves that with a strange and confusing diatribe about how when it rains puddles form. Once I got to the chapter about romanticism and englightement, I completely checked out.
February 22, 2025
Picked this up for a class and took my time with it even though it’s quite short.
To be honest, I feel like this book makes many generalisations and (in some cases) oversimplfies certain theories. Despite that aspect, I think it’s a solid read on nationalism - especially for someone who’s new to the topic!
To be honest, I feel like this book makes many generalisations and (in some cases) oversimplfies certain theories. Despite that aspect, I think it’s a solid read on nationalism - especially for someone who’s new to the topic!
September 13, 2016
CZ/ENG
Dle mého soudu skvělá analýza původu nacionalismu (i v tom pozitivním slova smyslu), jeho podmínkách a důsledcích. Také spojen s komparativní analýzou s Marxismem nebo Islámem, jako ukázkami tendencí jdoucích proti nacionalismu. Závěrem nechybí ani zhodnocení českého nacionalismu v Masarykově nebo Patočkově pojetí (s větičkou i o Klausově pojetí ač explicitně tam zmíněn není).
A very inspiring analysis of nationalism and its origins. The European tradition of nationalism is compared also to its two recent oppositions - Marxism and Islam. Certainly worth reading if you are interested in history and national narratives.
Dle mého soudu skvělá analýza původu nacionalismu (i v tom pozitivním slova smyslu), jeho podmínkách a důsledcích. Také spojen s komparativní analýzou s Marxismem nebo Islámem, jako ukázkami tendencí jdoucích proti nacionalismu. Závěrem nechybí ani zhodnocení českého nacionalismu v Masarykově nebo Patočkově pojetí (s větičkou i o Klausově pojetí ač explicitně tam zmíněn není).
A very inspiring analysis of nationalism and its origins. The European tradition of nationalism is compared also to its two recent oppositions - Marxism and Islam. Certainly worth reading if you are interested in history and national narratives.
October 27, 2009
It was quite good however I wouldnt recommend it as an introduction to nationalism. I did learn alot about how and why nationalism works and doesnt work.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews