The state of the nation : Ernest Gellner and the theory of nationalism

Nationalism is one of the major social and political issues of modern times, and a subject of intense intellectual debate. The most important and influential theory of nationalism is that of Ernest Gellner (1925–1995). This volume assesses every aspect of that theory, bringing together an exceptional set of scholars to explain, criticise and move beyond Gellner's work. In doing so the book establishes the state-of-play within the theory of nationalism, and complements Gellner's account by bringing political variables back into play. The book is unique in offering sustained attention to a single powerful theory, and will be of wide interest to students and scholars of political and social theory, history, sociology and anthropology. Thoughts About Change : Ernest Gellner And The History Of Nationalism / Roman Szporluk -- Ernest Gellner's Diagnoses Of Nationalism : A Critical Overview, Or, What Is Living And What Is Dead In Ernest Gellner's Philosophy Of Nationalism? / Brendan O'leary -- Real And Constructed : The Nature Of The Nation / Miroslav Hroch -- The Curse Of Rurality : Limits Of Modernisation Theory / Tom Nairn -- Nationalism And Language : A Post-soviet Perspective / David Laitin. Ernest Gellner's Theory Of Nationalism : Some Definitional And Methodological Issues / Nicos Mouzelis -- Nationalisms That Bark And Nationalisms That Bite : Ernest Gellner And The Substantiation Of Nations / Mark Beissinger -- Nationalism And Modernity / Charles Taylor -- Modern Multinational Democracies : Transcending A Gellnerian Oxymoron / Alfred Stepan. Nationalism And Civil Society In Central Europe : From Ruritania To The Carpathian Euroregion / Chris Hann -- From Here To Modernity : Ernest Gellner On Nationalism And Islamic Fundamentalism / Dale F. Eickelmann -- Myths And Misconceptions In The Study Of Nationalism / Rogers Brubaker. Edited By John A. Hall. Title 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Contributors 7 Introduction 9 Contributors 7 Part I The making of the theory 29 Thoughts about change: Ernest Gellner andthe history of nationalism 31 Ernest Gellner's diagnoses of nationalism: a critical overview, or, what is living and what is dead in Ernest Gellner's philosophy of nationalism? 48 Part II The classical criticisms 97 Real and constructed: the natureof the nation 99 The curse of rurality: limits of modernisationtheory 115 Nationalism and language: a post-Sovietperspective 143 Ernest Gellner's theory of nationalism: somedefinitional and methodological issues 166 Part III Bringing politics back in 175 Nationalism and modernity 199 Modern multinational democracies:transcending a Gellnerian oxymoron 227 Part IV Wider implications 249 Nationalism and civil society in centralEurope: from Ruritania to the CarpathianEuroregion 251 From here to modernity: Ernest Gellner on nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism 266 Myths and misconceptions in the studyof nationalism 280 Bibliography of Ernest Gellner's writingson nationalism 315 Index 319 Nationalism is one of the major social and political issues of modern times, and a subject of intense intellectual debate. The most important and influential theory of nationalism is that of Ernest Gellner (1925-1995). This volume assesses every aspect of that theory, bringing together an exceptional set of scholars to explain, criticize and move beyond Gellner's work. In doing so the book establishes the state-of-play within the theory of nationalism, and will be of wide interest to students and scholars of political and social theory, history, sociology and anthropology. Nationalism is one of the major social and political issues of modern times. This volume brings together an exceptional set of scholars to assess every aspect of the most important and influential theory of nationalism, that of Ernest Gellner, explaining, criticising and developing Gellner's work. Today, a third of a century since its publication in 1964, Thought and Change can be seen as Ernest Gellner's magnum opus, a work that contained the nucleus of not only Nations and Nationalism but also of an even later Plough, Sword and Book.