E. J. Hobsbwam on Nationalism
Date Issued
2007
Date
2007
Author(s)
Li, Chi-Chang
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
Abstract：
This topic of essay is “Hobsbawm on nationalism”. As an famous historian, he didn’t provide an explicit and theoretical interpretation of nation and nationalism. But due to that he successfully use the ideas of ‘invented traditions’ and his controversial ‘Eurocentric standpoint’, many scholars until now still debates on his viewpoint of nationalism. In addition, the experiences of Hobsbawm’s 20th century life, Jewish identity, and the obstinate belief in Marxism all make the topic of ‘nationalism’ inescapable in his studies of history. Although he was failure in predict the future of nationalism, Hobsbawm disclosed the negative, dark side of nationalism and ambiguity of ‘nation’. His ‘nations and nationalism since 1780’ is still a classic from the camp of ‘modernism’ on nationalism.
The first Chapter provides the motives and questions of writer. We can understand why and how Hobsbawm research nationalism by discussing the context of ‘Jewish identity’ and the criticisms and reviews of his past research. The second Chapter discusses Hobsbawm’s background and personal identity. It focuses on ‘Jewish identity’, political identity of communist party, and all his life career- historian. This chapter became the context of the following chapters, we can’t understand his criticisms of nationalism until we know the importance of his devotion to history and Marxism.
The third Chapter focuses on the close relation between ‘invention of tradition’ and ‘nationalism’. Hobsbawm started his discourses from using the studies and conception of Gellner and Horch on nationalism. By connecting the concepts and the historical realities of ‘nation building’, ‘nation principle’ and ‘mass-producing traditions in Europe’, Hobsbawm points out the making process and instruments of nationalism.
The fourth Chapter emphasizes on Hobsbawm’s criticisms on different types of nationalism. He presented the difficulties of ‘ethnicity’, ‘language’, ‘religious’ and ‘political identity’ as the standards of national member by questioning the ambiguities of ‘popular proto nationalism’. He proved that the most demonic force in the world is ‘nationalism’ by criticizing the shortcomings of ‘cultural nationalism’, ‘ethnic nationalism’, ‘new nationalism’ and ‘Zionism’.
The fifth Chapter returned to the identity of ‘Marxism historian’. By answering the question of the abuses of history from nationalists and ‘Marxist can’t be a nationalist’, Hobsbawm reconfirmed his belief in Marxism and the rejection of ‘Jewish identity’. Regardless of other scholars’ criticisms, studying nationalism for Hobsbawm himself is meaningful.
Key words: Eric Hobsbawm, nationalism, invention of tradition, nation, Jewish identity
Subjects
霍布斯邦
民族主義
民族
傳統的發明
猶太身份
E. J. Hobsbawm
nationalsim
nation
invention of trdition
Jewish identity
Type
thesis
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