Explanations

Abstract

The symposium was a remarkable assemblage. Congregated in one room were men from several European nations. (I confined my invitations to Europeans because it was in that continent that theories concerning the nation and nationalism first emerged and were fully expounded.) Their talents, experience and general political outlook were, taken in sum, spread across an exceedingly broad spectrum: a German philologist; a German Professor of Philosophy; an Italian political prophet and organiser; the foremost of English liberal political philosophers; a highly versatile French scholar; a Communist revolutionary and dictator; and the epitome of National Socialism. All had made notable contributions to the concept of nationhood. Yet they had never all met together before.