But how is the nation-state to be defined?
German sociologist Max Weber defined the state as "a human community with a defined territory" and monopoly over the use of legitimate force.
Two dimensions thus stand out: (1) Territory and (2) Legitimate force.
The two dimensions combine into what is called sovereignty. The state is the supreme authority over its territory. It can issue commands, and it must be obeyed (legitimate force).
Remember how Hobbes told us that the state (sovereign) is supreme? He meant that the state is supreme in absolute terms.
This aspect is open to debate, of course. Politics as we have said is fluid. There are no static positions.
Modern nation-states are both sovereign in a domestic sense, and in an international sense.
In the latter, the territorial borders (Locke) of a nation-state cannot be violated, for example. Therefore, the flow of goods and people into a given nation-state is always regulated.
The doctrine of popular sovereignty holds that the people (citizens) of a given nation-state legitimizes its authority.
We are still, however, left with having to discuss what is meant by a nation.
This is a tricky issue. The nation can be made up of multiple identifiers. These include language, ethnicity, race, culture, territory, history, politics, etc.
Still, the make-up of a nation is not a closed or defined thing, for a lack of a better term.
Nations are fluid concepts and best described as living organisms.
Some theorists like Benedict Anderson argue that the nation is an "imaginary community". It exists as a construct in our heads and is given meaning through media and other exchanges (like sport) that piece folk together.
Anderson says:
A nation "is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion."
For our purposes, it is best to describe a nation as a political community who legitimizes the state.
The nation-state is thus a combination of two political concepts. The state rules based on the popular sovereignty given to it by the nation.
Nonetheless, we are left with a lot of questions. But that is the nature of political theory.
We discussed the issue of immigrants in South Africa, both legal and illegal. Where do they fit into the fabric of our nation?
Should we ban all foreigners? Should we allow anyone who wants to live here to do so?
I invite you to think about this question even as you decide what it means to be a South African.
You may find these links useful:
What is a nation-state?
What is a nation?
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