Nation-State: Difference between revisions

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"The nation-state is a coupling together of two elements with different
"The nation-state is a coupling together of two elements with different
natures: nation and state. Th e nation-state’s emergence, however,
natures: nation and state. The nation-state’s emergence, however,
requires the previous appearance of capital-state — that is, a
requires the previous appearance of capital-state — that is, a
coupling of capital with state. Th is was achieved with the absolute
coupling of capital with state. This was achieved with the absolute
monarchies. I have already described the situation of the social formation
monarchies. I have already described the situation of the social formation
under absolute monarchies, in which previously dominant
under absolute monarchies, in which previously dominant
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appears within the social formation as an attempt to recover, through
appears within the social formation as an attempt to recover, through
imagination, mode of exchange A and community, which is disintegrating
imagination, mode of exchange A and community, which is disintegrating
under the rule of capital-state. Th e nation is formed by
under the rule of capital-state. The nation is formed by
capital-state, but it is at the same time a form of protest and resistance
capital-state, but it is at the same time a form of protest and resistance
to the conditions brought about by capital-state, as well as an
to the conditions brought about by capital-state, as well as an
attempt to supplement for what is lacking in capital-state.
attempt to supplement for what is lacking in capital-state.


The sensibility of the nation is grounded in blood- lineage, regional,
The sensibility of the nation is grounded in blood-lineage, regional,
and linguistic communities. None of these, however, possesses the
and linguistic communities. None of these, however, possesses the
secret of the nation: the nation does not form simply because of the existence
secret of the nation: the nation does not form simply because of the existence

Revision as of 21:14, 11 January 2019


Discussion

Origins of the Nation-State

Kojin Karatani, chapter nine:

"The nation-state is a coupling together of two elements with different natures: nation and state. The nation-state’s emergence, however, requires the previous appearance of capital-state — that is, a coupling of capital with state. This was achieved with the absolute monarchies. I have already described the situation of the social formation under absolute monarchies, in which previously dominant mode of exchange B was transformed by the impact of the emerging dominance of mode of exchange C. The nation appeared after this in the bourgeois revolutions that toppled the absolute monarchy.

To put this somewhat schematically, the nation is something that appears within the social formation as an attempt to recover, through imagination, mode of exchange A and community, which is disintegrating under the rule of capital-state. The nation is formed by capital-state, but it is at the same time a form of protest and resistance to the conditions brought about by capital-state, as well as an attempt to supplement for what is lacking in capital-state.

The sensibility of the nation is grounded in blood-lineage, regional, and linguistic communities. None of these, however, possesses the secret of the nation: the nation does not form simply because of the existence of such communities. The nation appears only aft er the emergence of capital-state."

See: Evolution of the Structure of World History Through Modes of Exchange