Ending the Nation-State Myth
The nation-state is widely presumed to be the basic unit of international relations. But few nations – a collectivity defined by shared cultural, linguistic, or ethnic attributes – have contours that coincide with the territorial boundaries of a state, and when policy makers behave as if they do, much mischief ensues.
NEW YORK – This fall, thousands of college students will be taught a myth presented as fact. It is a myth that has helped fuel wars and may hinder finding solutions to the world’s biggest problems. Though the origin of this myth is cloudy, science has proven its falsity, and a globalized world has rendered it anachronistic. I am talking about the nation-state.