Is Nationalism best understood as a rational phenomenon Essay

Is Nationalism best understood as a rational phenomenon - Essay Example The specificity of nationalism, that which distinguishes nationality from other types of identity, derives from the fact that nationalism locates the source of individual identity within a â€Å"people†, which for its part has been acknowledged as the bearer of sovereignty, the central object of loyalty, and the basis of collective solidarity. The foundation of nationalism, argued Liah Greenfeld (1992), without which no nationalism is possible, is an idea; nationalism is a particular perspective or a style of thought and that the idea of the nation lies in it core. (p. 3-4) Scholars are at odds as to when did nationalism emerge. However, they are in unison in saying that it started in Europe. For instance, there are those who argue that nationalism came out of Britain in the sixteenth century. There are those who believe such as Andrew Vincent (2002), that nationalism’s groundwork was established during the French and American revolutions. (p. 46) Nonetheless, the concept has signified the beginning of modernity, corresponding with the growth and modernization of states. This does not mean, however, that there were no instances of group loyalty and allegiance in the past. They were not simply considered nationalist as we understand the term today. The membership of an individual in a country is not a voluntary issue, though some times it is said to be voluntary. Nationalism is involuntary when a member of a country is born in a particular nation. It was not a choice to be born there, so it is involuntary. People who decide to change their citizenship and get that of another country are voluntarily members of their country of choice. This argument has become significant when we talk about ability to consider and choose between alternatives, which â€Å"entitle one to decide what was best for oneself and was the basis for the recognition of the autonomy