Is Nationalism Really A Good Thing?

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Nationalism was the strongest political force during the 19th century. During this time people of the same ethnicities came together to fight for their own causes. As a political idea, our textbook states, “Nationalism is based on the relatively modern concept that a nation is composed of people who are joined together by the bonds of common language, customs, culture, and history, and who because of those bonds should share the same government” (The Heritage of World Civilizations pg. 700). In 1835 the Italian nationalist and patriot, Giuseppe Mazzini explained his understanding of the concept in our textbook titled “Mazzini Defines Nationality” (pg.703). Although nationalism served as the stepping stone for the political consolidation of Europe and North America, it was also described to sever the liberties of other minor ethnic groups. Lord Action was a major nineteenth-century English historian and commentator on the contemporary religious and political events. In all of his writings, he was deeply concerned with the preservation of liberty. In the source, “Lord Action Condemns Nationalism” he voices to warn against the political dangers of Nationalism. (pg. 726) Mazzini associates specific qualities of people with nationalism and relates them to divine purposes such as liberal freedom. He does this by explaining “the essential characteristics of a nationality are common ideas, common principles, and a common purpose. He begins to go even further by explaining the importance of nationalism and how it means even more than that. “Nationality also consists in the share of mankind’s labor which God assigns to people. This mission is the task which gives people its rights as a member of Mankind. This means that without nationalit... ... middle of paper ... ...an, Chinese, or Puerto Rican all came here to have a new life. People of different races and cultures also share many of the same problems when living in the same boundaries. In today’s society it does not matter what you are because one problem can usually affect people even in if it is in a different way. To get anywhere in today’s society you must work hard. We still do not live in a world with one hundred percent tolerance, but I do believe that the original definition of nationalism has changed. I do agree with Lord Action when he says that nationalism caused repression of minority populations. But I also believe that Mazzini makes a good point when he says a nation is more than just having common ideas, principle, and a purpose. “The life of a nation consists of harmonious activity that is of ALL individual abilities comprised within the association.”(pg. 703)

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