On Nationalism [1950]

This disquisition on the perils of nationalism was published as "The Kind of Fear We Sorely Need", The New York Times, 29 Oct. By the 1920s Russell's thinking about nationalism had already undergone significant transformation. After August 1914 Russell and many other "Angel-lites" reluctantly conceded that the spirit of nationalism still exerted a powerful sway. The power of nationalism may be seen in the development of Russia, which, having started out from Communism with an international creed, has, under Stalin's guidance, reverted to the traditional "Holy Russia"-so that Communism now appears as a mere adjunct to Russian patriotism. The hostility to foreign nations which tends to be associated with nationalism is based partly upon fear, and this part is comparatively respectable. The conclusion of the matter seems to the author to be that while cultural nationalism is valuable, military and economic nationalism is a grave danger.