Scottish Rights and ‘Centralisation’ in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    22 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This article will address the assumption that the essential definition of nationalism is parliamentary political. By highlighting the solitary Scottish nationalist movement in the mid-nineteenth century, the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, this article asks whether a ‘centralised’ state for the Scottish nation should be the model against which nationalism is interpreted. By developing the concept of ‘civil society’ as both ‘container’ and ‘director’ of nationalism, this article will show the influence of a ‘decentralised’ state to conceptions of ‘best-governing’. By stressing the contradictions in the legitimacy of the British state mid-century, it will be argued that Scottish nationalism can not be regarded as merely romantic, nor, as its outcome, can Scottish culture be presented as somehow weak. This article will argue that intellectual thought regarding the state meant that the only form of nationalism at this time was ‘Unionist-nationalism’, more union with England, not less.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)257-279
    Number of pages23
    JournalNations and Nationalism
    Volume2
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jul 1996

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Scottish Rights and ‘Centralisation’ in the Mid-Nineteenth Century'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this