NATIONALISM AS THE PRODUCT OF HISTORY - 2 THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GELLNER,ERNEST AND BALIBAR WALLERSTEIN,IMMANUEL

The aim of this article is to investigate the areas of friction between the "liberal" school of the newer nationalism theories and their opposing neo-Marxist theories. The basic differences - as well as similarities - of these schools will be illustrated through the examination of two of the exceptional contributions of the 1980s: that from Ernest Gellner and Etienne Balibar/Immanuel Wallerstein. While Gellner's strict evolutionary approach to the development of modern industrial societies is deeply rooted in the optimism toward progress found in the liberal, informative schools of thought, Balibar and Wallerstein's neo-Marxist theory criticizes this linear and optimistic approach toward development. Balibar/Wallerstein differ from Gellner on the importance of the division of present societies into nations (as well as races and sex) by stressing that such divisions are a structural element of the capitalistic system, rather a phenomenon of diminishing importance.