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  • Imagined communities and their moral standing : the example of nation
    Miščević, Nenad
    If a belonging is illusory then it cannot bestow obligations upon anyone. Belonging to an "imagined" community depends upon beliefs in a false, "covertly constructed" picture of one's society. To the ... extent to which nation is such a covertly constructed community, the alleged obligations towards it are illusory and null. It is argued here that mistaken beliefs about moral obligation leads to morally questionable practice, imposing the wrong order of priorities in general, and the wrong choice of the scope of one's obligation. Further, being born and socialized into an (other-) constructed identity with little chance of exit is conducive neither to dignity nor to autonomy. Finally the cultural and political importance of covert construction can and often does produce dangerous spillover, given the nasty character of founding national myths. The imagined character of national community thus has serious moral consequences that work against pro-nationalist views. This conclusion stands in marked contrast to assumptions in recent "liberal national" literature (Tamir, Miller, McCormick) who find "imagined" belonging not only harmless, but morally appealing and for whom, as Tamir puts it "living within a community where members share an "imagined" sense of togetherness engenders mutual responsibilities"
    Source: Acta analytica : philosophy and psychology : [international periodical for philosophy in analytical tradition]. - ISSN 0353-5150 (Vol. 16, iss. 27, 2001, str. 109-131)
    Type of material - article, component part ; adult, serious
    Publish date - 2001
    Language - english
    COBISS.SI-ID - 11456776

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