Perspectives on Nation, Integration, and Schism from Ernest Renan and Emile Durkheim: conception.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36676/urr.2023-v10i3-004Keywords:
Common Past, Common WillAbstract
The concept of nation cannot be described merely on empirical or subjective grounds. However, nations are trapped in a temporal paradox. Nation as an abstract concept has captured people's imagination and awareness to such an extent that it has become reified in modern times. In transitional cultures such as India, it has become an identity identifier, a cause of exclusion, a forum for the spread of prejudice, distrust, and justification for violence. So, what exactly is a nation? Is it just a marriage of persons of the same race, religion, and language? The primary topic of this article is whether the nation as a notion is essentially universal and a force of integration, or if it is parochial and resulting in schism! This study seeks solutions by exploring the viewpoints of two thinkers: Ernest Renan and Emile Durkheim.
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