|
|
Nationalism and Tom Nairn
Background
It is difficult to overstate Tom Nairn's contribution to studies of
nationalism over the last three to four decades. He has also made
a contribution to political theory more generally. Writing in the
London Review of Books, Neal Ascherson stated that Nairn
has been 'for twenty years the dominant political philosopher of his
country, and an influence on the ideas of the post-1968 generation
all over Western Europe'.
Tom Nairn is widely known for developing
what would later be named the Nairn-Anderson thesis on British decline,
which is much-cited and commented upon, and he has had a definitive
influence upon studies of nationalism and politics in Britain and
beyond. He is one of the four most widely cited authorities on nationalism
in the world today, along with Benedict Anderson, Anthony Smith and
the late Ernest Gellner. His influential book The Break-up of
Britain (1977) gained much attention for its prediction of the
unsustainability of the United Kingdom state and its probable fragmentation
into a number of different republics. This text has been central reference
for the growing field of nationalism studies and is used in hundreds
of university courses across the world.
Where the Break-up of
Britain refocused studies of nationalism and uneven development,
Faces of Nationalism: Janus Revisited (1998) established
the field of argument that civic and secular nationalism is a key
feature of modernity and not an archaic reaction against it. It is
part of his general contribution to fundamentally rethinking the place
of 'nationalism from below'. His much acclaimed books After Britain
(2000) and Pariah: Misfortunes of the British Kingdom (2002)
continue the argument of The Break-up of Britain, concentrating especially
on Scotland and devolutionary politics, along with the structural
tensions associated with Blairism. Through his analytical and translating
work, he is credited, together with Perry Anderson, with introducing
Antonio Gramsci's work to Anglophone culture, especially the notion
of 'hegemony', which has had a major influence on the field of political
and cultural studies since.
The wide reference made to his publications
on this subject, and the levels of praise they have received make clear Tom's influence upon studies of nationalism. For
instance, The Break-up of Britain was described by Ernest
Gellner as a 'rich valuable and stimulating book'; by the Guardian
as displaying 'A burning glass of a mind ... disconcerting in its
withering contempt not only for the British state but for everything
associated with it'; and by the Economist as 'Densely and
brilliantly argued ... original and perceptive.' His works have been
widely translated, with his essay 'La Société Civile: Un Mythe Ecossais'
alone appearing in seven languages.
Many of his books have been republished.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of The Break-up
of Britain was marked by its republication in a third edition,
and by a conference devoted to his work held in Edinburgh in October
2002. A sequel to The Break-up of Britain is under contract
to Granta Books, while another volume has been commissioned based
upon seminars delivered at the University of Edinburgh. Recently,
he has also completed In Scotostan: Globalization at the Edge,
was accepted by Verso Books for publication in 2005 and
Global Matrix: Nationalism, Globalism and State-Terrorism,
written with Paul James, was published by Pluto Press in 2005.
He has
been honoured by many visiting professorships, including to the University
of Northumbria in England, Simon Fraser University in Canada, and
Monash University in Australia. His work has been the subject of monograph-length
studies by others, and his arguments have been subject to much debate.
His work has also been widely anthologized. Further, it has also been
adapted for television, with, for example, The Enchanted Glass
being made into a documentary by Scottish Television for UK Channel
4, and presented by Christopher Hitchens.
|
 |
 |
| Globalism Institute©Copyright
2005 |
|
