na·tion (n
sh
n)n.1.a. A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.b. The territory occupied by such a group of people: All across the nation, people are voting their representatives out.
2. The government of a sovereign state.
3. A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language; a nationality: "Historically the Ukrainians are an ancient nation which has persisted and survived through terrible calamity" Robert Conquest.
4.a. A federation or tribe, especially one composed of Native Americans.b. The territory occupied by such a federation or tribe.
The UN charter speaks of member states and occasionally uses 'nation' as a congruent term. States can sign treaties, are sovereign and independent in UN parlance. But, in spite of common usage, it is clear that nations do not have the same powers as do states .It is not clear what nations can do. It isn't even clear what nations are.
Lately, it seems that states are territories that are ruled by a government that makes the laws that cover a particular piece of real estate. But it seems that nations are groups of people that share a common bond from history of language and culture. So it appears that 'nation' means something more similar to 'tribe' then to 'state'. Nations are groups of people that share culture, language, religion, based on a common history and perhaps a common geography. Nations do not necessarily control a piece of real estate.
Historically, tribes became nations as the population sharing a culture grew large. The nation group lived in close proximity enabling establishment a state. Developing from tribes, these states predictably governed by a noble family , protected by lesser nobility arising from the tribal milieu by strength of arms. The largest of these Nation states became conquerors of smaller states and imposed their own statutes and customs creating empires. And those empires inevitably led to the decline of nations as minor tribal usages were absorbed or subdued under the impositions of the tribal custom and institution of the empire.
As tribes/nations were marginalized, political theory was developing to make possible the creation of states based on needs of individuals. The will of the majority replaced the authority of cultural history and traditions personified by the nobility. The rule of law became the paramount instrument of governance, individual rights replaced cultural practises and ideological plurality replaced nation,tradition, state religion, to make the rule of law possible.
Paradoxically, the change from rule by tradition to rule of law has had the most success in Western Europe where it began and where the most violent consequences through wars and revolutions have been suffered. Once the composed of countries typical of nation states, United Europe is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and broadly representative of the whole world in ethnicity and cultural history.
Europe is now a partial test ground for the idea of a plurality of cultures under the rule of law, equitable jurisprudence, and political egalitarianism. If it will manage to accomadate Turkey, it will be a more comprehensive test.
The UN charter speaks of member states and occasionally uses 'nation' as a congruent term. States can sign treaties, are sovereign and independent in UN parlance. But, in spite of common usage, it is clear that nations do not have the same powers as do states .It is not clear what nations can do. It isn't even clear what nations are.
Lately, it seems that states are territories that are ruled by a government that makes the laws that cover a particular piece of real estate. But it seems that nations are groups of people that share a common bond from history of language and culture. So it appears that 'nation' means something more similar to 'tribe' then to 'state'. Nations are groups of people that share culture, language, religion, based on a common history and perhaps a common geography. Nations do not necessarily control a piece of real estate.
Historically, tribes became nations as the population sharing a culture grew large. The nation group lived in close proximity enabling establishment a state. Developing from tribes, these states predictably governed by a noble family , protected by lesser nobility arising from the tribal milieu by strength of arms. The largest of these Nation states became conquerors of smaller states and imposed their own statutes and customs creating empires. And those empires inevitably led to the decline of nations as minor tribal usages were absorbed or subdued under the impositions of the tribal custom and institution of the empire.
As tribes/nations were marginalized, political theory was developing to make possible the creation of states based on needs of individuals. The will of the majority replaced the authority of cultural history and traditions personified by the nobility. The rule of law became the paramount instrument of governance, individual rights replaced cultural practises and ideological plurality replaced nation,tradition, state religion, to make the rule of law possible.
Paradoxically, the change from rule by tradition to rule of law has had the most success in Western Europe where it began and where the most violent consequences through wars and revolutions have been suffered. Once the composed of countries typical of nation states, United Europe is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and broadly representative of the whole world in ethnicity and cultural history.
Europe is now a partial test ground for the idea of a plurality of cultures under the rule of law, equitable jurisprudence, and political egalitarianism. If it will manage to accomadate Turkey, it will be a more comprehensive test.
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