WHAT IS A NATION?

(Ou'est-ce qu'une nation?)

Ernest Renan
[Lecture at Sorbonne, 11 March 1882
in Discours et Conerences, !aris, Cai"an#Le$%, 188&, ''(2&&#)1*+ a,so in
-eo .,e% an/ 0ona,/ -ri1or Sun% , e/( 1223( 4eco"in1 Nationa,5 A 0ea/er(
Ne6 7or8 an/ O9or/5 O9or/ :ni$ersit% !ress, 12235 ''( ;1#<<( =
>The 'iece in this $o,u"e to 6hich I attach the 1reatest i"'ortance is the ,ecture
?What is a a nation?? I 6ei1he/ each 'art 6ith 1reatest care( It is "% 'roession
o aith re1ar/in1 hu"an aairs, an/ I ho'e that these t6ent% 'a1es 6i,, be
reca,,e/ 6hen "o/ern ci$i,i@ation ,oun/ers as a resu,t o the /isastrous
a"bi1uit% o the 6or/s5 nation, nationa,it%, race(> Ernest Renan in the
Introduction to his Collected Speeches
> I inten/ to ana,%@e 6ith %ou an i/ea 6hich see"s si"',e an/ c,ear but 6hich ,en/s itse,
to the "ost /an1erous "isun/erstan/in1s( ( ( ( In our /a% one co""its a serious error5 one
conoun/s nation an/ race, an/ one attributes to ethno1ra'hica, or rather ,in1uistic 1rou's a
so$erei1nt% ana,o1ous to that o rea, 'eo',es( Let us tr% or so"e 'recision in these /iicu,t
Auestions 6here the s,i1htest conusion about the "eanin1 o 6or/s, 6hich are at the basis
o our reasonin1, can 'ro/uce the "ost /isastrous errors(
Since the en/ o the 0o"an ."'ire, or rather since the /isso,ution o the e"'ire o
Char,e"a1ne, Western .uro'e see"s to be /i$i/e/ into nations( At certain ti"es so"e o
the" ha$e sou1ht to e9ercise a he1e"on% o$er the others, 6ithout bein1 ab,e to arri$e there
in an en/urin1 ashion( What Char,es B, Louis CIB, Na'o,eon I cou,/ not achie$e,
nobo/%, 'robab,%, 6i,, be ab,e to /o in the uture( The estab,ish"ent o a ne6 0o"an
."'ire or a ne6 e"'ire o Char,e"a1ne has beco"e i"'ossib,e( The /i$ision o .uro'e is
too 1reat or an atte"'t at uni$ersa, /o"ination not to 'ro$o8e 6ith s'ee/ a coa,ition 6hich
'uts the a"bitious nation bac8 6ithin its natura, ,i"its((
Nations in this sense are so"ethin1 ne6 in histor%( What characteri@es these $arious
nations is the usion o the 'o'u,ations 6hich co"'ose the"( Nothin1 si"i,ar e9ists in
Tur8e%, 6here the Tur8, the S,a$, the -ree8, the Ar"enian, the Arab, the S%rian, the Dur/,
are to/a% as /istinct as the% 6ere on the /a% o the conAuest((( ( .$en b% the tenth centur%
a,, the inhabitants o Erance are Erench( The i/ea o a /ierence o races in the 'o'u,ation
o Erance has co"',ete,% /isa''eare/ 6ith the Erench 6riters an/ 'oets ater Hu1ues
Ca'et( The /istinction bet6een the nob,e an/ the ser is hi1h,% e"'hasi@e/, but this
/istinction is in no 6a% an ethnic /istinction(
These 1reat ,a6s o the histor% o Western .uro'e beco"e ob$ious i 6e contrast the"
6ith the e$ents in .astern .uro'e( :n/er the cro6n o St( Ste'han, the Ma1%ars an/ the
S,a$s ha$e re"aine/ as /istinct to/a% as the% 6ere 8** %ears a1o( In 4ohe"ia, the C@ech
an/ the -er"an e,e"ents are su'eri"'ose/ as 6ater an/ oi, in a 1,ass(( The Tur8ish 'o,ic%
o se'aratin1 nationa,ities accor/in1 to re,i1ion has ha/ the "ost serious conseAuences5 it
cause/ the ruin o the Mi//,e .ast( Eor, the essentia, e,e"ent o a nation is that a,, its
in/i$i/ua,s "ust ha$e "an% thin1s in co""on but it "ust a,so ha$e or1otten "an% thin1s(
.$er% Erench citi@en "ust ha$e or1otten the ni1ht o St( 4artho,e"e6 an/ the "assacres
in the thirteenth centur% in the South( There are not ten a"i,ies in Erance 6ho cou,/ 'ro$e
their Eran8ish ori1in, an/ such a 'roo 6ou,/ be /eicient because thousan/s o un8no6n
"i9e/ bree/in1s cou,/ /eran1e a,, 1enea,o1ica, s%ste"s((((
Accor/in1 to certain 'o,itica, theorists, the nation is abo$e a,, the 6or8 o a /%nast%
re'resentin1 an ancient conAuest 6hich 6as irst acce'te/ an/ ,ater or1otten b% the "ass
o 'eo',e((( Has such a ,a6 abso,ute $a,i/it%? Certain,% not( S6it@er,an/ an/ the :nite/
States, 6hich arose as a11,o"erations o successi$e a//itions, ha$e no /%nastic basis( (( (
One "ust thereore a/"it that a nation can e9ist 6ithout the /%nastic 'rinci',e, an/ e$en
that nations 6hich 6ere or"e/ b% /%nasties can se'arate the"se,$es ro" the" 6ithout
,osin1 their i/entit% thereb%( A1ainst /%nastic ri1hts, the ri1ht o nationa,it% has e"er1e/(
On 6hat tan1ib,e act cou,/ it be base/?
I( So"e 'eo',e sa% that it cou,/ be( base/ u'on race( The artiicia, /i$isions create/ b% the
eu/a, 'ast, b% 'rince,% "arria1es an/ /i',o"atic con1resses ha$e ,a'se/( What re"ains
ir" an/ 'er"anent is the race o the 'eo',e( It constitutes a ,e1iti"ate ri1ht( Accor/in1 to
this theor% the -er"ans ha$e the ri1ht to ta8e bac8 the scattere/ "e"bers o the -er"anic
a"i,%, e$en i these "e"bers /o not see8 anne9ation( Thus one creates a 'ri"or/ia, ri1ht
ana,o1ous to that o the /i$ine ri1ht o 8in1s( This is a $er% 1reat a,,ac% 6hose /o"inance
6ou,/ rain .uro'ean ci$i,i@ation(((
To base one?s 'o,ic% on an ethno1ra'hica, ana,%sis "eans to estab,ish it on a chi"era( The
nob,est countries # .n1,an/, Erance, Ita,% # are those 6here the b,oo/ is "ost "i9e/(
-er"an% is no e9ce'tion( ( ( ( 0ace as 6e historians un/erstan/ it is so"ethin1 6hich is
or"e/ b% histor% an/ un/one b% histor%( The stu/% o race is o 1reat i"'ortance or the
stu/% o the histor% o "an8in/, but it has no ',ace in 'o,itics(( (( Wi,, the -er"ans, 6ho
ha$e raise/ the banner o ethno1ra'h% so hi1h, not see one /a% the S,a$s ana,%@e the na"es
o the $i,,a1es o Sa9on% an/ o Lusatia, see8 the traces o 'o'u,ations ,on1 /ea/, an/ as8
or an account o the "assacres an/ the "ass ens,a$e"ent to 6hich the -er"ans un/er
their Otto"an e"'erors subFecte/ their ancestors? It is 1oo/ or a,, o us to 8no6 ho6 to
or1et(
II( What 6e ha$e sai/ o race is as true o ,an1ua1e( Lan1ua1e "a% in$ite us to unite, but it
/oes not co"'e, us to /o so( ( ( ( Lan1ua1es are historica, or"ations, 6hich te,, us $er%
,itt,e about the race o those 6ho s'ea8 the"( In an% e$ent, the% shou,/ not etter hu"an
ree/o" 6hen it concerns the ate o the 1rou' 6ith 6ho" 6e 6ish to unite or ,ie or
/eath(
One aban/ons the 1reat air 6hich one breathes in the ,ar1e ca"' o hu"anit% in or/er to
shut onese, u' in con$entic,es o co"'atriots( Nothin1 cou,/ be 6orse or the "in/+
nothin1 cou,/ be "ore troub,eso"e or ci$i,i@ation( Let us not aban/on the un/a"enta,
'rinci',e that "an is a rationa, an/ "ora, bein1 beore he is 'enne/ u' in this or that
,an1ua1e, beore he is a "e"ber o this or that race, beore he a/heres to this or that cu,ture(
Abo$e the Erench, -er"an, or Ita,ian cu,ture, there is a hu"an cu,ture( Loo8 at the 1reat
"en o the 0enaissance( The% 6ere neither Erench, Ita,ian or -er"an( 4% their inti"ac%
6ith the s'irit o antiAuit%, the% ha/ oun/ the secret o the true e/ucation o the hu"an
"in/, an/ the% /e$ote/ the"se,$es to it 6ith a,, their heart( Ho6 6e,, the% acte/G
III( Nor cou,/ re,i1ion oer a suicient oun/ation or the estab,ish"ent o a "o/ern
nation( ( ( ( One can be a Erench"an, an .n1,ish"an or a -er"an, b% bein1 a Catho,ic, a
!rotestant, a He6 or an a1nostic( 0e,i1ion has beco"e so"ethin1 in/i$i/ua,+ it concerns the
conscience o each 'erson(((
IB( The co""unit% o interests is certain,% a stron1 tie a"on1 "en( 4ut are interests
suicient to create a nation? I /o not be,ie$e it( The co""unit% o interests creates
co""ercia, treaties( Nationa,it% is so"ethin1 senti"enta, too+ it is bo/% an/ sou, at the
sa"e ti"e+ a custo"#union is not a ather,an/(
B( -eo1ra'hh%, or as one sa%s, the natura, rontiers certain,% ',a%s a consi/erab,e 'art in
the /i$ision o nations( ( ( ( Can 6e sa%, ho6e$er, as certain 'eo',e be,ie$e, that the
rontiers o a nation are "ar8e/ on the "a', an/ such a nation has the ri1ht to a/Fu/icate to
itse, 6hat it re1ar/s as necesar% to roun/ o its contours, to reach so"e "ountain or so"e
ri$er, to 6hich cre/its a 8in/ o a priori Aua,it%? I /o not 8no6 o an% /octrine 6hich
6ou,/ be "ore arbitrari,% /isastrous( With it one can Fusti% a,, $io,ence( One s'ea8s o
strate1ic reasons( Nothin1 is abso,ute+ c,ear,%, certain concessions "ust be "a/e to
necessit%( 4ut these concessions shou,/ not 1o too ar( Other6ise e$er%bo/% 6ou,/
/e"an/ 6hat is strate1ica,,% con$enient to an/ a 6ar 6ithout en/ 6ou,/ ensue(((
(((A nation is a sou,, a s'iritua, 'rinci',e( T6o thin1s, 6hich in truth are but one, constitute
this sou, or s'iritua, 'rinci',e( One ,ies in the 'ast, one in the 'resent( One is the 'ossession
in co""on o a rich ,e1ac% o "e"ories+ the other is 'resent# /a% consent, the /esire to ,i$e
to1ether, the 6i,, to 'er'etuate the $a,ue o the herita1e that one has recei$e/ in an un/i$i/e/
or"( Man, -ent,e"en, /oes not i"'ro$ise( The nation, ,i8e the in/i$i/ua,, is the cu,"ination
o a ,on1 'ast o en/ea$ours, sacriice, an/ /e$otion( O a,, cu,ts, that o the ancestors is the
"ost ,e1iti"ate, or the ancestors ha$e "a/e us 6hat 6e are(
A heroic 'ast, 1reat "en, 1,or% Ib% 6hich I un/erstan/ 1enuine 1,or%J, this is the socia,
ca'ita, u'on 6hich one bases a nationa, i/ea( To ha$e co""on 1,ories in the 'ast an/ to
ha$e a co""on 6i,, in the 'resent+ to ha$e 'eror"e/ 1reat /ee/s to1ether, to 6ish to
'eror" sti,, "ore#these are the essentia, con/itions or bein1 a 'eo',e( One ,o$es in
'ro'ortion to the sacriices to 6hich one has consente/, an/ in 'ro'ortion to the i,,s that one
has suere/( One ,o$es the house that one has bui,t an/ that one has han/e/ /o6n( The
S'artan son1#>We are 6hat %ou 6ere+ 6e 6i,, be 6hat %ou are> K is, in its si"',icit%, the
abri/1e/ h%"n o e$er% patrie.
More $a,uab,e b% ar than co""on custo"s 'osts an/ rontiers conor"in1 to strate1ic i/eas
is the act o sharin1, in the 'ast, a 1,orious herita1e an/ re1rets, an/ o ha$in1, in the uture,
[a share/= 'ro1ra""e to 'ut into eect, or the act o ha$in1 suere/, enFo%e/, an/ ho'e/
to1ether( These are the 8in/s o thin1s that can be un/erstoo/ in s'ite o /ierences o race
an/ ,an1ua1e( I s'o8e Fust no6 o >ha$in1 suere/ to1ether> an/, in/ee/, suerin1 in
co""on uniies "ore than Fo% /oes( Where nationa, "e"ories are concerne/, 1ries are o
"ore $a,ue than triu"'hs, or the% i"'ose /uties, an/ reAuire a co""on eort(
A nation is thereore a ,ar1e#sca,e so,i/arit%, constitute/ b% the ee,in1 o the sacriices that
one has "a/e in the 'ast an/ o those that one is 're'are/ to "a8e in the uture( It
'resu''oses a 'ast+ it is su""ari@e/, ho6e$er, in the 'resent b% a tan1ib,e act, na"e,%,
consent, the c,ear,% e9'resse/ /esire to continue a co""on ,ie( A nation?s e9istence is, i
%ou 6i,, 'ar/on the "eta'hor, a /ai,% ',ebiscite, Fust as an in/i$i/ua,?s e9istence is a
'er'etua, air"ation o ,ie( That, I 8no6 u,, 6e,,, is ,ess "eta'h%sica, than /i$ine ri1ht an/
,ess bruta, than so ca,,e/ historica, ri1ht( Accor/in1 to the i/eas that I a" out,inin1 to %ou, a
nation has no "ore ri1ht than a 8in1 /oes to sa% to a 'ro$ince5 >7ou be,on1 to "e, I a"
sei@in1 %ou(> A 'ro$ince, as ar as I a" concerne/, is its inhabitants+ i an%one has the ri1ht
to be consu,te/ in such an aair, it is the inhabitant( A nation ne$er has an% rea, interest in
anne9in1 or ho,/in1 on to a countr% a1ainst its 6i,,( The 6ish o nations is, a,, in a,,, the so,e
,e1iti"ate criterion, the one to 6hich one "ust a,6a%s return(
We ha$e /ri$en "eta'h%sica, an/ theo,o1ica, abstractions out o 'o,itics( What then re"ains?
Man, 6ith his /esires an/ his nee/s( The secession, %ou 6i,, sa% to "e, an/, in the ,on1
ter", the /isinte1ration o nations 6i,, be the outco"e o a s%ste" 6hich ',aces these o,/
or1anis"s at the "erc% o 6i,,s 6hich are oten none too en,i1htene/( It is c,ear that, in such
"atters, no 'rinci',e "ust be 'ushe/ too ar( Truths o this or/er are on,% a'',icab,e as a
6ho,e in a $er% 1enera, ashion( Hu"an 6i,,s chan1e, but 6hat is there here be,o6 that /oes
not chan1e? The nations are not so"ethin1 eterna,( The% ha/ their be1innin1s an/ the% 6i,,
en/( A .uro'ean cone/eration 6i,, $er% 'robab,% re',ace the"( 4ut such is not the ,a6 o
the centur% in 6hich 6e are ,i$in1( At the 'resent ti"e, the e9istence o nations is a 1oo/
thin1, a necessit% e$en( Their e9istence is the 1uarantee o ,ibert%, 6hich 6ou,/ be ,ost i the
6or,/ ha/ on,% one ,a6 an/ on,% one "aster(
Throu1h their $arious an/ oten o''ose/ 'o6ers, nations 'artici'ate in the co""on 6or8 o
ci$i,i@ation+ each soun/s a note in the 1reat concert o hu"anit%, 6hich, ater a,,, is the hi1hest
i/ea, rea,it% that 6e are ca'ab,e o attainin1( Iso,ate/, each has its 6ea8 'oint( I oten te,,
"%se, that an in/i$i/ua, 6ho ha/ those au,ts 6hich in nations are ta8en or 1oo/ Aua,ities,
6ho e/ o $ain1,or%, 6ho 6as to that /e1ree Fea,ous, e1otistica,, an/ Auarre,so"e, an/ 6ho
6ou,/ /ra6 his s6or/ on the s"a,,est 'rete9t, 6ou,/ be the "ost into,erab,e o "en( 7et a,,
these /iscor/ant /etai,s /isa''ear in the o$era,, conte9t( !oor hu"anit%, ho6 %ou ha$e
suere/G Ho6 "an% tria,s sti,, a6ait %ouG Ma% the s'irit o 6is/o" 1ui/e %ou, in or/er to
'reser$e %ou ro" the count,ess /an1ers 6ith 6hich %our 'ath is stre6nG
Let "e su" u', -ent,e"en( Man is a s,a$e neither o his race nor his ,an1ua1e, nor o his
re,i1ion, nor o the course o ri$ers nor o the /irection ta8en b% "ountain chains(
A ,ar1e a11re1ate o "en, hea,th% in "in/ an/ 6ar" o heart, creates the 8in/ o
"ora, conscience 6hich 6e ca,, a nation( So ,on1 as this "ora, consciousness
1i$es 'roo o its stren1th b% the sacriices 6hich /e"an/ the ab/ication o the
in/i$i/ua, to the a/$anta1e o the co""unit%, it is ,e1iti"ate an/ has the ri1ht to
e9ist(
I /oubts arise re1ar/in1 its rontiers, consu,t the 'o'u,ations in the areas un/er /is'ute(
The% un/oubte/,% ha$e the ri1ht to a sa% in the "atter( This reco""en/ation 6i,, brin1 a
s"i,e to the ,i's o the transcen/ants o 'o,itics, these ina,,ib,e bein1s 6ho s'en/ their ,i$es
/ecei$in1 the"se,$es an/ 6ho, ro" the hei1ht o their su'erior 'rinci',es, ta8e 'it% u'on
our "un/ane concerns( >Consu,t the 'o'u,ations, or hea$en?s sa8eG Ho6 nai$eG A ine
e9a"',e o those 6retche/ Erench i/eas 6hich c,ai" to re',ace /i',o"ac% an/ 6ar b%
chi,/ish,% si"',e "etho/s(> Wait a 6hi,e, -ent,e"en+ ,et the rei1n o the transcen/ants 'ass+
bear the scorn o the 'o6eru, 6ith 'atience( It "a% be that, ater "an% ruit,ess 1ro'in1s,
'eo',e 6i,, re$ert to our "ore "o/est e"'irica, so,utions( The best 6a% o bein1 ri1ht in the
uture is, in certain 'erio/s, to 8no6 ho6 to resi1n onese, to bein1 out o ashion(((>