Cuando las ideas se vuelven creencias útiles: el nacionalismo como instrumento politico

Abstract

“Nation” and “nationalism” are terms in constant use in both academic literature and political discourse, even though their definition is extremely vague. Hence, the debate on the nature and characteristics of nations and types of nationalism continues to the present day. The author suggests that nationalism’s importance and pervasiveness can be explained by distilling three traditions of political thinking –realism, romanticism and messianism, along with notions of sovereignty of the people. As a result, nationalism becomes an extremely useful and adaptable political instrument that diverse political actors can use to gain support and legitimacy in pursuing their objectives and interests.