Definition of the term "Nation"

[Ioulianos]

Are Austrians a distinct nation or just another German tribe(like Bavarians or Prussians) having its own state?What about Flemmish and Dutch?French and Wallons?Is there a Belgian nation or just Belgian citizens?What is a nation after all?

[Artemidoros]

The best I can come up with is that nation is a group of people who consider themselves part of a whole and believe they are bonded with special and exclusive links. I understand that this definition is perhaps too wide but I fear that narrowing it will leave some nations out.

[xxx]

There is a concept of nation-state, which is political, and a concept of cultural nation. They can coexist, though they may clash too.

[Satyros]

Ioulianos said:

Are Austrians a distinct nation or just another German tribe(like Bavarians or Prussians) having its own state?What about Flemmish and Dutch?French and Wallons?Is there a Belgian nation or just Belgian citizens?What is a nation after all?

You are asking what a nation is?

Heh, it is clear that you have been living in Greece, where for the last 20 years, anything connected to Nation, Nationality, any kind of National characterism or referal, any form of National IDEOLOGY have been considered almost fasistic and criminal by the pseydosocialilst CIRCUS monkeys of the PASOK brothel!!!

Now, you can try and search for the definition of Nation more comfortably and if you come up with something good for YOUR Nation let us know..its about time we escape the midenism of our times..

[alex221166]

Ioulianos said:

Are Austrians a distinct nation or just another German tribe(like Bavarians or Prussians) having its own state?What about Flemmish and Dutch?French and Wallons?Is there a Belgian nation or just Belgian citizens?What is a nation after all?

A nation is a group of people with a common ancestry, (and/or) culture, and/or language, who developed a sense of unity that differenciantes them from people that do not share the same culture (and/or), ancestry and/or language.

Example: Spain is a country with many nations, whose citizens consider themselves a part of something greater than their own national identities.

Without its monarchy, Belgium would not even be a real country. There is a lot of rivalry between the Flems and the Vallons.

As to the Austrians, I do not know (but I know they don't see themselves as Germans). As to their origins, I can email a German/American I know who knows A LOT about ancient Germanic tribes.

[Sandwich]

Try Aristotle: the essence of a thing is is what it does, what it's for. A nation protects its citizens, with laws and an army. It provides a cultural environment of language, values, art, sport. It develops a sense of shared identity. It is inseperable from facts and ideas of power and ownership.

Don't go looking for hard and fast edges to a term like this. It hasn't meant the same thing over time, and probably will continue to change in the future. The meaning of a word is how that word is used in everyday life. A nation in the days of Pericles doesn't mean the same as a nation in the days of Louis XI of France or of 1789 or of the modern United States.

First work out why you're asking.