To What Extent Should Nation Be The Foundation Of Identity

1004 Words3 Pages

To what extent should nation be the foundation of identity?
Nationalism is a shared group feeling seeking independence for its culture or ethnicity that holds that group together. A nation is understood as being a shared state of mind, cultural beliefs, linguistics, ethnics, religious practices, geographic location and shared political understandings. The basis of one's identity is influenced by their culture, religion, ethnic status, and their political views, therefore, the list of common understandings of a nation is proof that nation is a large part of the foundation of identity. A person's identity is predisposed based on what kind of nation-state they belong to.

Nationalism creates how we are viewed and how we live upon our society. …show more content…

The foundation of nationalism is a recent idea that has come from the 18th century, the French Revolution. Prior to the French Revolution, France was divided by various religions and regions. The only thing that could link the nation together was the belief that everyone was supposed to serve the king. The French Revolution helped to create the idea of nationalism because it promoted the idea that the people owned the state and that the people had an important stake in the state. During the French Revolution, the upbringing of nationalism had a lot to do with patriotism. The people of Europe needed a foundation of proper government and the ability to share loyalties. The revolution stressed the idea that the people were all citizens of the state. Eventually, the french people came to identify very strongly with the French state. This idea spread to other countries, where people came more and more to identify with their governments. In this way, the French Revolution helped nationalism become more prevalent by promoting the idea that the people should feel an affinity with the state and a sense that they were part owners of that state. Eventually, the nation of France was a basis of individual’s

More about To What Extent Should Nation Be The Foundation Of Identity

Open Document