Nation as an European Phenomenon

Abstract

This paper presents two arguments, which have not yet been formulated: 1) European nations did not arise as a product of “nationalism” but are the result of an asynchronous, deep identity crisis, occurring in Europe with modernization processes, which questioned old social relations and value systems. New proto-civil society (strictly speaking: his protagonists) has been formed later as a nation, whereas the concept of a nation had been existing for a long time before and with positive connotations, 2) authorities and administrative systems, which in today’s world is defined in English as “nations” are the product of a phenomenon known as “nationalism” and not fall into the same category as bearing the same name communities in Europe. Vague and ambiguous concept of “nationalism” is used incorrectly as a tool of causal analysis of the processes the formation of European nations. This leads to distortion of European history and to unproductive and leading astray discussion about the nature and meaning of an idea called “nationalism”. When examining the phenomenon of nations in Europe, it is necessary to check the origin of the concepts and possible areas of use.