Nationalism is not the awakening of nations to self-consciousness; it invents nations where they do not exist.
Ernest GellnerRead
A cleric who loses his faith abandons his calling; a philosopher who loses his redefines his subject.
Interpretation
The loss of faith transforms a cleric's purpose, while a philosopher's loss leads to a reevaluation of ideas.
This quote suggests that faith is integral to a cleric's identity and role; without it, they can no longer fulfill their calling. Conversely, a philosopher, when losing faith, responds by redefining their philosophical inquiries and ideas, indicating a more flexible and adaptive approach to their intellectual pursuits.
In practice
In a discussion on the interplay between faith and reason, this quote can illustrate how loss shapes belief systems.
Nationalism is not the awakening of nations to self-consciousness; it invents nations where they do not exist.
I am deeply sensitive to the spell of nationalism. I can play about thirty Bohemian folk songs ... on my mouth-organ. My oldest friend, who is Czech and a patriot, cannot bear to hear me play them because he says I do it in such a schmalzy way, 'crying into the mouth organ'. I do not think I could have written the book on nationalism which I did write, were I not capable of crying, with the help of a little alcohol, over folk songs, which happen to be my favourite form of music.
Since life is an ever evolving process, one should flow in this process and discover how to actualize and expand oneself.
he wanted people to like his mind again-after awhile it might be such a nice place in which to live.
I strongly believe that those of us, who are privileged to have wealth, should contribute significantly to try and create a better world for the millions who are far less privileged
When I was researching my book 'The 33 Strategies of War', I studied Napoleon extensively and I found myself wanting to ask Napoleon questions about things he did, and if was I interpreting his actions correctly.
Burning the flag is a form of expression. Speech doesn't just mean written words or oral words. It could be semaphore. And burning a flag is a symbol that expresses an idea - I hate the government, the government is unjust, whatever.
If nationalism makes us poor, weak, and morally insecure, how can it claim to be patriotic? I maintain that nationalists are unpatriotic.
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