Azar Gat on Nations and Nationalism

Please note that the venue is in the vicinity of the Scott Monument and will be announced to RSVPing members closer to the event date. We will NOT be meeting at the monument, itself. . We look forward to reconvening after a short summer break. For this event, we’ll be discussing a few selections from Nations: The Long History and Deep Roots of Political Ethnicity and Nationalism (2013) by the political scientist, Azar Gat. Here’s a description of the book from the publisher: “What are the origins of nationalism and why is it capable of arousing such intense emotions? In this major study Azar Gat counters the prevailing fashionable theories according to which nations and nationalism are modern and contrived or 'invented.' He sweeps across history and around the globe to reveal that ethnicity has always been highly political and that nations and national states have existed since the beginning of statehood millennia ago. He traces the deep roots of ethnicity and nationalism in human nature, showing how culture fits into human evolution from as early as our aboriginal condition and, in conjunction with kinship, defines ethnicity and ethnic allegiances. From the rise of states and empires to the present day, this book sheds new light on the explosive nature of ethnicity and nationalism, as well as on their more liberating and altruistic roles in forging identity and solidarity.” Find the reading here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gC71DwLGy8sRo2wG96FhBqDT0nU1fs0J/view?usp=sharing Whether you’re new to the group or have been several times before, we look forward to welcoming you. Please join us! C&S