“I am a very big fan of the nation, actually. In Cicero's time, there was this idea that although we were members of the whole world of human beings, we also needed to connect our imaginations to a smaller unit. The smaller unit was something we knew we could live or die for, as Cicero died for the Roman republic.” WorldHumansIdeasWholeBigsDiesNationsImaginationHuman BeingsFansNeededMembersDiedWhole WorldRepublicUnits Author:Martha C. Nussbaum
“With the rise of capitalism, it became more obvious that people pursue individual self-interest. The great nationalist in Italy, Giuseppe Mazzini, a wonderful philosopher, said that we need the nation. We need something that people can lean on, from which they can then reach out to the whole world. The idea of all humanity is too vague. It can't motivate human aspiration in a reliable way.” PeopleWorldWayNeedsHumansSaidIdeasSelfWholeHumanityIndividualNationsInterestWonderfulCapitalismPhilosopherObviousWhole WorldPursueAspirationReach OutVagueSelf Interest Author:Martha C. Nussbaum
“The EU might have become a large federal nation. But they would have had to do things differently. Number one, they would've had to make people feel like participants in a common project of autonomous law-giving. Much more political accountability, much more participation. That didn't happen, I think, because the movers and shakers were more concerned with economic union than political union.” PeopleThinkingGivingFeelsMightHappensLawPoliticalNationsCommonNumbersEconomicProjectsConcernedUnionsAccountabilityParticipationParticipantsAutonomousShakersMovers And Shakers Author:Martha C. Nussbaum
“After all, the nation is not just an entity. It's a story. It's a story of what's salient, what brought us together, what we are willing to live and die for.” StoriesTogetherDiesNationsWillingEntity Author:Martha C. Nussbaum
