Book Description

Professor Misceviæ is a member of the Steering Committee of the European Society for Analytic Philosophy, of which he was president until 1999. He has lectured as invited professor at various universities including CREA in Paris, the Institute for International Studies in Geneva, the Institute of Federalism in Fribourg, as well as at the universities of Memphis, Graz (Austria) and Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic).

This book is a readable introduction of the concepts and principles shaping the philosophical debate around nationalism. It provides portraits of two kinds of nationalists: the tougher type, more common in everyday life, and the ultra-moderate "liberal nationalist" encountered in academia. The author introduces a debate with a "thoughtful nationalist," one who defends the view that states should be organized around national culture and that individuals have basic obligations to their nation. The author attempts to answer his opponent’s standard arguments and presents a fully documented critique of his views. A passion born from Misceviæ’s encounter with nationalism in the former Yugoslavia glows from every line of the argument. Questions raised and discussed include: Why is radicalism typical of nationalism? How successful is the nation-state? Does nationalism support liberal-democratic values? Is membership in a nation necessary for human fulfillment and for understanding values? Why might nationalism be immoral?

The book is unique not only because it explains a contemporary moral debate, in terms clear to the non-philosopher reader, but also because it has been written from the perspective of Central and Eastern Europe based on the author’s personal experience.

"There is nothing quite like this book in the contemporary literature. It fills a salient vacuum and would make a fine contribution to a number of debates."- Philip Pettit, Professor of Social and Political Theory, Australian National University, Canberra