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On the Nation and the Jewish People

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
On the Nation and the Jewish People explores the vital ideas of Ernest Renan, a pioneering 19th-century French thinker who shaped the modern study of nationalism. Shlomo Sand, author of the acclaimed The Invention of the Jewish People, reveals the complexity of Renan's work and its influence on 20th-century scholars like Raymond Aron and Ernest Gellner. The book includes two of Renan's seminal lectures: "What Is a Nation?", which argues that nations transcend race, religion, and language, and a historical analysis demonstrating that the Jewish people cannot be seen as a "pure ethnos." Sand's essay alongside these lectures offers a nuanced perspective on nationalism and revives appreciation for Renan's significant yet misunderstood contributions.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in nationalism, Jewish history, and intellectual history, especially those who appreciate critical examinations of identity and ethnicity. It is suitable for scholars, students, and thoughtful general readers seeking a deeper understanding of nationhood and the Jewish people.

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The author of the bestselling The Invention of the Jewish People introduces two classic texts by a founding figure in the study of nationalism.

Two classic texts on nationalism introduced by the author of The Invention of the Jewish People

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Ernest Renan was one of the intellectual giants of the second half of the nineteenth century in France, the man who first opened up the study of nationalism. In this book, Shlomo Sand, the author of the best-selling The Invention of the Jewish People, demonstrates the complexity of Renan's thought. Sand shows the relationship of Renan's work to that of key twentieth-century thinkers on nationalism, such as Raymond Aron and Ernest Gellner, and argues for the continued importance of studying Renan.

Alongside his essay, Sand presents two classic lectures by Renan: the first, the renowned "What Is a Nation?", argues that nations are not based upon race, religion, and language; in the second he uses historical evidence to show that the Jews cannot be considered a "pure ethnos." On the Nation and the Jewish People is an important contribution to the understanding of nationalism, bringing back into play the work of a profoundly misunderstood thinker.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781844674626

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 November 2010

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 9.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 131g

Pages: 112

About the Author

Shlomo Sand studied history at the University of Tel Aviv and at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, in Paris. He currently teaches contemporary history at the University of Tel Aviv. His books include The Invention of the Jewish People, On the Nation and the Jewish People, L'Illusion du politique: Georges Sorel et le débat intellectuel 1900, Georges Sorel en son temps, Le XXe siècle à l'écran and Les Mots et la terre: les intellectuels en Israël.

Ernest Renan (1823-1892) was a French philosopher and writer.

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