A New View of the Nation-State

Seminar with Finn Østrup, Department of Finance, arranged by SMG.

It is the theory of the nation-state that the state should cover individuals who belong to the same national community, usually being defined as a group of individuals who share a common culture and who are tied together by bonds of solidarity and attachment. Based on this definition, the nation-state has in the political literature been seen as a means (i) to maintain a national culture, (ii) to achieve liberal and social goals, (iii) to raise economic efficiency, and (iv) to bring about security from internal and external threats.

In a new book project with the working title “A New View of the Nation-State”, a critical assessment is given of these various views of the nation-state. It is suggested, as a new interpretation, that the national community should be seen primarily not as a community which links individuals through bonds of attachment, but rather as a framework for social comparison. Based on this interpretation of the nation-state, a number of new arguments concerning the nation-state are derived.