... is it possible to say that any type of nationalism exists?" 2, demonstrating just how ambiguous this issue is. What has been made clear to me while researching this topic is that in order to come to any sort of conclusion, one must maintain a clear definition of nationalism. Therefore, I feel it is vital that we regard nationalism as a political movement and not simply as being synonymous with national sentiment, as differentiated by Gellner,3 so as not to further complicate the issue. With this in mind, I believe it will become clear why two distinct arguments have emerged regarding this question. Alter emphasises the significance of this difference, stating that there is certainly strong evidence "of national feeling and thought" dating from mediaeval times, while also stressing the significance of politics by insisting that "it is inaccurate to say that nationalism existed even in those times" (Alter, ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now