The Liberal in Question: Can Nationalism be Liberal?
In: Multiculturalism: Critical and Inter-Disciplinary PerspectivesSearch for other papers by Caglayan Arslan in
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New solutions are sought in the beginning of twenty-first century for the problems that arise in the modern nation-states. Liberal nationalism is one of the most debated subjects that refer to the problem of the coexistence of different groups, cultures, and ethic descents. Liberal nationalism claims to support the reconciliation of liberal and national values – by liberalizing national values – as a constructive solution. It also offers a wide range of remarks for the contemporary issues as multiculturalism, transformation of nation-states and common culture and so on. There also exists a considerable number of recent academic works concerning this subject. The relevant books of Yael Tamir and David Miller are among the most popular. It is generally claimed that liberal nationalism is the best suited alternative for multiculturalism. Yet – as in most political projects – the discourse and practice may not match for all times. Thus, this chapter first tries to analyze whether liberalism and nationalism are compatible with each other -by referring to its brief history and to the discursive and practical consistency of its arguments. Secondly, key concepts such as ‘state’, ‘society’ and ‘individual’ will be observed in order to see how liberal nationalism has created its reconceptualization. Thirdly, we will turn back to the liberalism-nationalism relationship by addressing the mutual interaction – that is, to what extent these separate ideologies may come together. Finally, some other alternative approaches and some criticisms will be discussed, concerning the ‘living together’ problem in modern societies. These questions are crucial as liberal nationalism has gained special interest in recent decades; a criticism may be needed in order to reach other alternatives.