Isn the nation-state an obsolete institution?
What does it mean to say that any institution is “obsolete”? Those who makes this argument usually point to the rise of “subnational,” separatist movements; the increasing integration of the world economy; the porosity of national borders; and the rise of international organizations, especially the European Union. None of this evidence supports the claim being made. It is singularly perverse to cite nationalist movements as evidence that nationhood is “obsolete.” These movements all seek to become nation-states on par with those they seek independence from. Neither are they new phenomena: they are only a continuation of the great projects of nation-building inaugurated in the nineteenth century. There is no reason to suppose that increasing trade between nations inevitably dissolves national identities and borders. Trade is not a mystical, superhuman force, but an activity of human beings. If human beings are not willing to become homogenized, cosmopolitan mass-men, then they won’t, no
Related Questions
- I have taken Organizational Behaviour and Marketing courses at another post secondary institution. How do I find out if I qualify for an exemption from Organizational Behaviour and Marketing?
- When should an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or institution request a "407" review for research involving children as subjects?
- Isn the nation-state an obsolete institution?
