nationalismanddemocracy.docVIP

Nationalism and Democracy: Second Thoughts Wang Shaoguang Department of Government Public Administration The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin, NT HONG KONG Tel: 852-2609-7515 Fax: 852-2603-5229 Email: wangshaoguang@.hk May 30, 2003 Nationalism and Democracy: Second Thoughts (Abstract) The prevailing perception of Chinese nationalism has been negative. Many look upon nationalism with profound suspicion, considering it intrinsically hostile to democracy. While not denying that nationalism may be in practice associated with antidemocratic movements, this article intends to explore the democratic potential of nationalism. It argues that nationalism is not inherently incompatible with democracy. On the contrary, democracy can hardly function properly unless some key components of nationalism are present. Nationalism’s theoretical affinity with democracy has been examined by other scholars. But they are normally led to conclude either that only certain types of nationalism can facilitate democracy or that only under certain conditions can nationalism be conducive to democracy. The proposition of this article is that all nationalisms share a number of common components, some of which are indispensable to democracy.  According to Isaiah Berlin (1979), nationalism has been one of the greatest social and political phenomena of the last two centuries. It is very likely to remain a permanent feature of our world for the foreseeable future. From historical and comparative perspectives, therefore, the revival of Chinese nationalism is neither novel nor surprising. However, the prevailing perception of Chinese nationalism seems negative. Many see it as a worrying phenomenon and some even view it as a dangerously aggressive force that may threaten the peace and stability of the region and the world (Yu 1996; Sautman 1997; Friedman 1997; Chang 1998). Even those who disagree with the alarmist assessment often look upon nationalism wi