Some Distinctions within Classical Distinction. On the Civic and Ethnic Conceptions of the Nation
Some Distinctions within Classical Distinction. On the Civic and Ethnic Conceptions of the Nation

Summary/Abstract: The opposition between a civic/political/contractual and an ethnic/cultural conception of the nation is one of the most widely used intellectual tools in any attempt to come to terms with the intricacies of nationalism. It is generally considered today as the most convenient device for distinguishing between the varieties of national­ism that are deemed compatible with the basic framework of a liberal-democratic regime and others that are seen as conducive to an authoritarian regime. As such, it has been accepted as a yardstick for measuring both the policies of the states towards individual citizens and minority groups, and the demands of minority groups against the states. It has also become very popular in post-communist Eastern Europe, where it is usually thought to give the final (theoretical) answer to all questions that might arise from the issue of the relationship between citizenship and ethnicity.

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