ON THE NATURE OF NATIONALISM - AN APPRAISAL OF GELLNER,ERNEST WRITINGS ON NATIONALISM

Ernest Gellner's is the best-known modernist explanatory theory of nat ionalism. This article summarizes its expression and development befor e considering its strengths and weaknesses. Discussion centres on Gell ner's functionalist mode of explanation, the place of nationalism in h is philosophy of history, the predictive and retrodictive nature of hi s theory, and the merits of his typology of nationalism. The apolitica l character of his writings is emphasized: in particular, though Gelln er established the connections between nationalism and egalitarianism in modem societies, he did not emphasize the mutually reinforcing rela tionships between nationalism, egalitarianism and democratization; mor eover, his contempt for nationalist doctrines is not something liberal s, socialists and conservatives need share.