Why was there no nationalism in the modern sense in Classical Greece?

Greece.  The ancient Greeks were proud of their home city-state that they even decorated their clothing to represent the city-state they lived in.  

Education played a big part in ancient Greece, but had different purposes in the different states.  For example in Athens it was to have people with the knowledge of arts, and prepare them for times of peace and war.  While in Sparta it was to have people trained and disciplined for a marching army.  The Spartans were harsher with their political rights than other polis.  In order to have political rights and be considered a citizen, one had to pass tests in fitness, military, and leadership skills.  If a citizen did not pass the test, he or she became a middle class.  The behaviour of a citizen in each polis differed considerably.  The Corinthians were proud of their ability to create a thriving economy, one was honest, and regarded their state as a superior state to all others.  The Athenians regarded themselves as superiors in everything, and their main aim was to be better than all other states especially the Spartans.  Unlike the other city-states the Spartans motto was to ‘lie, steal, but don’t get caught’ because that was and is the Spartan way.

This idea of one state being better than another is known as ethnocentrism, which is like nationalism.  From these idea came the feeling for universal identification, and oneness of humanity.  All nations contain a measure of cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.  Nationalism in itself is difficult to pin because various nationalist traditions view the concept of nation in different ways.  One view sees the nation as firstly a

cultural community, and emphasises the importance of ethnic ties and loyalties.  Another view is based on the idea that each nation constitutes a natural political community whose members should all live together under the authority of ‘their own’ independent nation-state.

Increase in the number of middle classes and their want for political power, and also the development of democratic political theory led to the emergence of modern nationalism.  Its first showing was in the French Revolution, with the idea that there should be a government of equality and liberty for everyone.  The nation was integral to the people, ‘and for the first time in history a people could create a government in accordance with the nation’s general will’.  Although the aims of the French Revolutionary’s were widespread, they glorified the nation that would build their aims, and nationalism got its first political expression.

During the 19th century nationalism expressed itself as an action for national unification or independence.  It became popular in countries like Germany after the defeat f Napoleon I, in Italy they gained freedom from foreign domination, and in the United States of America civil war started in the name of national unity.  “By its very nature nationalism has turned into a kind of religious faith”  It ‘breeds imperialism’, and history has proven that it was nationalist conflicts that brought on World War I (irredentism).  By the 20th century a lot of independent nations were created due to the peace treaties of World War I, leading way to another form of nationalism – self determination.  This recognised the equality of all nations.  This also led to the

attitude of superiority in Nazi Germany, Italian fascism, and also colonies in Africa and Asia recognising their needs and wants for independence.  After World War II decolonisation (rolling back of imperialism) took place particularly in Africa and Asia.   In a lot cases nationalism caused the break-up of states than it created unification of cultures or religion.  

Nationalism existed in the form of tribalism; it then merged into an idea of attachment to ones city-state.  To the Greeks citizenship rights was closely related to nationhood, and they operated with the assumption that nationhood provides the essential component for nation-building.  ‘Ancient peoples, such as the Athenians or Spartans gave their allegiance to the city-state.  Rome developed into a huge empire, which forced the loyalty of peoples throughout Europe’.  Although with the growth of globalisation and interdependence amongst nations nationalism has grown from one extreme to another, for example the collapse of Yugoslavia, growth in Muslim fundamentalism.  There are attempts to slow or stop the growth of nationalism, particularly through the use of international organisation like United Nations and the European Union.  The European Union for example shows that countries are willing to give up their complete control on economics in their country, but it does not prove anything about willingness to share political power.  

For some Nationalism is a recent phenomenon associated with the French Revolution, industrialisation and the rise of democracy, but some political thinkers take it back to tribalism.  “The character of nationalism has varied considerably, and has been influenced by

both the historical circumstances in which it has arisen, and the political causes to which it has been attached.”  Aside from forming important bonds amongst nations today, nationalism in its modern form works alongside the legal structure and institutions of society that is needed to keep the existence of modern nation-states.

Bibliography

Cary. M & Haarhoff. T (1966), “Life and Thought in the Greek & Roma World”, University Paperbacks, London

Elliot. J (1997), “Oxford Paperback Dictionary and Thesaurus”, Oxford University Press, Oxford

Heywood. A (1997), “Politics”, Macmillan Press LTD, London

Kegley. C & Wittkopf. E (2001), World Politics: Trend and Transformation”, 8th Edition, Macmillan Press LTD, London

Kellas. J (1998), “The Politics of Nationalism and Ethnicity”, Macmillan Press LTD, London

Smith. A (1998), “Nationalism and Modernism”, Routledge, London

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