Concept
Bourgeois nationalism
Overview
In Marxist theory, bourgeois nationalism is the ideology of the ruling capitalist class which aims to overcome class antagonism between proletariat and bourgeoisie by appealing to national unity. It is seen as a distraction from engaging in class struggle and an attempt to impose interests of capitalists on the proletariat by constructing capitalist interests as "national interests". Internationally, it aims to create antagonism between workers of different nations and serves as a divide-and-conquer strategy. The bourgeois nationalism is contrasted with left-wing nationalism and proletarian internationalism.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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It is then that the inevitable conflict between employer and the employed becomes imminent, and cannot be adjourned any longer."[1] This quotation must be familiar to the reader, as it has lately been very much abused by scholastic Marxists. It has been used as an iron-clad argument against the idea of a labor government in Russia.
Leon Trotsky, Our Revolution
Close in meaning to Bourgeois nationalism; the term itself is not named.
When a Russian Communist speaks of dictatorship, he means the word literally, but when he speaks of the proletariat, he means the word in a Pickwickian sense. He means the "class-conscious" part of the proletariat, _i.e._, the Communist Party.[1] He includes people by no means proletarian (such as Lenin and Tchicherin) who have the right opinions, and he excludes such wage-earners as have not the right opinions…
Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism
Close in meaning to Bourgeois nationalism; the term itself is not named.
The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilization. The cheap prices of its commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls, with which it forces the barbarians' intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate.
Karl Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party
Close in meaning to Bourgeois nationalism; the term itself is not named.
Related ideas
- Marxists Internet Archive
- Marxism
- Nationalism
- Soviet Union
- The New York Times
- Google Books
- Class struggle
- Proletariat
- Communist Party USA
- Capitalism
- Bourgeoisie
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Lebensphilosophie.