Ethnicity and Human Nature

Abstract

The most difficult and controversial part of the study of nationalism is trying to find a general explanation for its existence. Scholars are divided into those who go back to something called ‘human nature’, where instinctive behaviour is to be found, and those who look only for historical, cultural and economic explanations (‘contexts’). The former have the problem that what is universally true is not much use in explaining particular differences in the world. The latter have great difficulty in explaining why the passions aroused by nationalism are so strong and universal, so that they seem to transcend mere circumstances to tap deep-seated emotions.