Abstract:
Why, in the historical period that the intersection of nation and state was beginning to consolidate did Marx appear to dismiss the nation-state as a transitory form of association? And how at the same time could he effectively take the nation for granted as a category of social relations? This dilemma should be recognized as basic to understanding the limitations of the marxist theory of the nation, a dilemma with continuing implications. More than a problem of emphases internal to Marx’s theory, the question also points to the necessity of an explanation couched in terms of the period in which he was writing. It takes us further than an ‘archaeology’ of texts. Asking why the writers of the period did not embark upon a project of theoretically taking apart the ‘nation’ is intended here to contribute to an overall understanding of the nation in theory and practice. While this article does not even touch upon the way in which the spectre of nationalism has, in the context of the break-up of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, returned to haunt marxism, this is the implicit setting for the following retrospective questions.
Details / PDF:
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