Keynote speakers

Dr Caspar Hirschi (University of St Gallen, Switzerland) and Dr Edward Bispham (University of Oxford).

Call for papers

The age of the concept of the nation has been the subject of much debate within the field of nationalism. Different schools have emerged during the course of the debate and each has argued either for the antiquity or modernity of the concept of the nation. Perennliasts and Primordialists have argued for the antiquity of the nation. Modernists have argued for the exclusivity of the nation to the modern, that is to say the post-nineteenth century, world. Ethnosymbolists have argued for the modernity of nations but evolving from strong ethnical units from the earlier periods of history. In 2012, Dr Caspar Hirschi published a work that reviewed the different positions in the field of nationalism, and put forward an argument for the nation and nationalism being a product of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Furthermore, Hirschi has criticised the often one-dimensional nature of most previous nationalism studies, either being solely theoretical in nature with no historical backing, or too much focused on an historical analysis without a theoretical framework to support their arguments. Instead, Hirschi has advocated for a more interdisciplinary approach by combining both theoretical arguments with historical analysis.

Nationalism, Patriotism, Ancient and Modern aims to build upon this interdisciplinary approach to the field of nationalism. Furthermore, it wishes to re-explore the relationship between nationalism and ancient civilisations. Although scholars of nationalism have dismissed the existence of ‘nations’ in antiquity, a vast wealth of literary, epigraphic, and material culture evidence exists that indicates the presence of evolving forms of collective identity and communal organisation that corresponds to what we would today term nationhood and nationalism. Consequently, this conference wishes to bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to explore the relationships, influences, similarities, and differences between ancient civilisations from around the globe and the ‘modern’ concepts of nationhood, nationalism, and patriotism.

A few topics to consider, but which are not exclusive are:

• Did the nation exist in ancient societies? If so, was it the nation as we know it or were there ancient equivalents? If not, are there at least foundations provided by ancient societies upon which modern nations were formed?
• Is there merit in the ethnosymbolic argument that ancient societies were solely ethnical organisations?
• What do non-European ancient societies tell us of their notions of collective identity and communal organisation? Do they indicate the presence of nationhood and nationalism?
• Can patriotism be separated from nationalism, or are the two terms interdependent?
• What is the focus of patriotism?
• What similarities or differences exist between modern and ancient patriotism?
• Is ancient patriotism identical to modern notions?
• How should we define the notions of nationhood and nationalism if we consider both ancient and modern forms?
• Did ‘nations’ fill a void or are modern ‘nations’ the product of ancient predecessors?
• What influences has antiquity had upon nation formation, and what does this say to the age of nations and nationalism?
• What new theoretical or analytical approaches should we consider when addressing the relationship between nationalism, antiquity, and modernity?

Abstracts from any discipline within the humanities and political and social sciences of a maximum of 300 words, and accompanied by a short bibliographical note should be sent to A.G.Peck@warwick.ac.uk by 20 January 2014. It is intended that papers presented will form an edited peer-reviewed volume in Pickering and Chatto's Warwick Series in the Humanities.

The conference is organised by Alexander Peck (University of Warwick).