The great philosopher N. Berdyaev once expressed himself that nationalism should have been condemned by the Christian church as heresy. Of course, this did not happen, but the contradictory nature of this social phenomenon still excites the minds of many people: some believe that nationalism has a future, and only on this ideology can a normal society be formed, while others consider it not so appropriate in the modern world, and those precedents of nationalism that history remembers are best forgotten, and not return to them.
What nationalism is, in general terms , is known to everyone: it is such a political ideology in which special importance is given to the nation, respect for traditions, and the upbringing of national identity. At first glance, harmless and even highly moral values are proclaimed, but it is important to pay attention to the fact that under nationalism, national minorities in the state are practically powerless, and other nationalities in neighboring and remote states are considered secondary. Thus, nationalism is a very controversial social phenomenon that can take on even more radical forms and ultimately lead to national tragedy: genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Today, nationalism exists in some states, which does not give any of these countries a positive global “image”: the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Russia are the closest examples where nationalism is partially manifested.
What is nationalism?
We list the characteristic features of this phenomenon, then to compare it with patriotism and Nazism.
- Nation. In this ideology, there is such an understanding that all of humanity is naturally divided into self-sufficient groups - nations that have their own characteristics.
- This ideology also emphasizes that the nation should participate in the political processes of the state.
- Here, the most acute problems of common language and culture. Today we see this in Ukraine and Latvia, where the Russian-speaking population is in some way impaired due to the inability to fully use the Russian language in all areas of life (for example, filling out documentation, defending dissertations, etc.). Nevertheless, in Ukraine, the authorities are trying to solve this problem, which cannot be said about the Republic of Latvia.
- The nation here is perceived as the highest value.
- Education, according to this ideology, should be accessible to all representatives of the nation.
Typology
To understand what nationalism is, consider its existing types:
- Civil. It focuses on the possibility of representatives of the nation to participate in the formation of political decisions. The state in this case represents the will of the nation.
- Ethnic. Here attention is paid to culture, language, religion, traditions and history as the unifying principles of all representatives of the nation.
- Extreme nationalism. This type of nationalism is evaluated negatively in most countries and belongs to the category of socially dangerous. For example, in Russia a criminal case is brought up for trial and inciting ethnic hatred . Nazism and fascism are based on extreme nationalism.
What is the difference between nationalism and patriotism?
These are related concepts, therefore, there are no strong differences between them. Patriotism is not so radical, but it is also based on a love of language, people, traditions. If nationalism is formed on the love of his nation, then patriotic feelings are characterized by love for the country in which the patriot lives. At the same time, he recognizes the importance of all social strata, including other nationalities.
Nationalism and Nazism: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Nazism is based on nationalism or racism. At the same time, a nation or race is proclaimed the best in the world. Nazism was the official ideology of the Third Reich, where the Aryan race was extolled over all the rest. He is an example of unsuccessful and distortedly understood nationalism, whose emergence (of Nazism) is possible only in countries in crisis.
What is nationalism in the eyes of cosmopolitans?
Cosmopolitans do not welcome nationalism, because their views are completely opposite. Cosmopolitans believe that people should worry about universal human issues, and that the separation of one nation from others is unacceptable. They believe that nationalism has chauvinistic potential and is therefore unsafe for society because of the risk of transforming into a radical form.