| This Dissertation is an exercise in critical political theory. It examines the idea of the nation, as it evolved in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries into the modern version of the territorial nation-state. It will later examine the extent to which writings from this period influenced prevailing notions of nationalism in the twentieth century.; The Dissertation takes the position that, while nationalist writers coming from Europe in the late nineteenth, early twentieth centuries were fueled by questions of race arising from the colonization of large parts of the world the colonial experiences in dealing with the Empire, in later periods, the notion of race was of minimal concern for nationalist writers, who now enshrined more universal notions of nationalism. The aspect of decolonization and resulting independence over large parts of the globe in the early to mid-twentieth century had a profound effect on the way the writers of more contemporary periods viewed the subject of nationalism. Now, notions of race and Empire were played down and are almost completely absent in the works of nationalist writers during this period.; But the influences of colonialism persisted, and states that were created upon, or embraced nineteenth century notions of nationalism that were imbued with the ideas of race and Empire, persisted. These countries continue to be embroiled in ethnic and political conflicts today, mainly due to the confines that their countries were founded upon, stemming from the ethnocentric notions of nationalism that were influenced by the race and Empire.; The Dissertation also seeks to examine the concept of Zionism as a practical manifestation of nineteenth century nationalism. It then examines the emergence of Palestinian national identity, as a result of Palestinians experience of exile and dispossession due to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. This is a departure from nineteenth century nationalism, which was largely affected by the notion of race and the colonial experience. |
