Nation, State and Empire

From Augustine’s City of God to Trump, the forms of nationalism across history

With the end of the Cold War and the triumph of globalisation, many believed that nationalism was now a thing of the past; instead, the opposite is true. Today, we can see nationalism spreading across the world, as populist and anti-democratic movements grow stronger.

Belonging somewhere seems to become even more important in a time of economic and social uncertainty. In a globalised world, identity, citizenship, and belonging are consequently connected to birthplace and an established residence. The essays in this anthology are based on the Engelsberg Seminar in 2017, where different kinds of identity – tied to different kinds of communities – were considered. How does a nation emerge? How is unity achieved in an empire with a diverse population?