Liberal Nationalism

"This is a most timely, intelligent, well-written, and absorbing essay on a central and painful social and political problem of out time."—Sir Isaiah Berlin

"The major achievement of this remarkable book is a critical theory of nationalism, worked through historical and contemporary examples, explaining the value of national commitments and defining their moral limits. Tamir explores a set of problems that philosophers have been notably reluctant to take on, and leaves us all in her debt."—Michael Walzer

In this provocative work, Yael Tamir urges liberals not to surrender the concept of nationalism to conservative, chauvinist, or racist ideologies. In her view, liberalism, with its respect for personal autonomy, reflection, and choice, and nationalism, with its emphasis on belonging, loyalty, and solidarity are not irreconcilable. Here she offers a new theory, "liberal nationalism," which allows each set of values to accommodate the other. Tamir sees nationalism as an affirmation of communal and cultural memberships and as a quest for recognition and self-respect. Persuasively she argues that national groups can enjoy these benefits through political arrangements other than the nation-state. While acknowledging that nationalism places members of national minorities at a disadvantage, the author offers guidelines for alleviating the problems involved using examples from currents conflicts in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe.

Liberal Nationalismis an impressive attempt to tie together a wide range of issues often kept apart: personal autonomy, cultural membership, political obligations, particularity versus impartiality in moral duties, and global justice. Drawing on material from disparate fields—including political philosophy, ethics, law, and sociology—Tamir brings out important and previously unnoticed interconnections between them, offering a new perspective on the influence of nationalism on modern political philosophy.

"[Tamir's] case for a 'liberal nationalism' would save liberalism from a shallow universalism, and save nationalism from its darkest impulses. Tamir's achievement is to bring moral clarity, and hope, to one of the most vexing political questions of our time."—Michael Sandel, Harvard University

"I can say with assurance that I have not for many years read a piece of work so intelligent, lucid, and sensible, both theoretically subtle and firmly rooted in the real world, as is Yael Tamir's essay on this subject."—Sir Isaiah Berlin

Publishers Weekly

Tamir, who teaches philosophy at Tel-Aviv University, offers an intriguing argument for the compatibility of the personal autonomy of liberalism with the loyalty and solidarity of nationalism. Her exposition is mainly theoretical, critiquing major thinkers like John Rawls and Isaiah Berlin, with occasional contemporary examples, especially on the issue of cultural belonging in Israel. Though she recognizes the potential excesses of nationalism, Tamir argues cogently that such communal feelings are necessary to support the modern liberal welfare state. Because each group cannot have its own state in this ethnically and nationally heterogenous world, Tamir suggests that smaller jurisdictions could allow minorities like Basques and Catalans limited autonomy, while they remain linked by broader political alliances like the European Community. But the EC is hardly thriving, and Tamir acknowledges that she has no solution for the tensions caused by imbalances between member nations. (June)