The Nation
The nation is the individual’s national political ‘umbrella’ and it is wider than the social ‘umbrella’ provided by the tribe to its members. Tribalism llama nationalization because tribal allegiance weakens national loyalty and flourishes at its expense. In the same way loyalty to the family flourishes at the expense of tribal loyalty and weakens it. National fanaticism is essential to the nation but at the same time it is a threat to humanity.
The nation in the world community is similar to the family in the tribe. The more the families of one tribe quarrel and become fanatic, the more the tribe is threatened. Equally if the members of one family quarrel and each of them seeks only his personal interests, the family is threatened, and if -the tribes of a nation quarrel and seek their own interests, that nation is threatened. National fanaticism, the use of national force against weak nations, or the national progress which is the outcome of plundering from other nations, are evil and harmful to humanity. However, the powerful individual who respects himself and is aware of his own responsibilities is important and useful to the family, just as a strong respectable family, which is aware of its importance, is socially and materially useful to the tribe. Equally useful to the whole world is the progressive, productive and civilized nation. The national political structure is damaged when it descends to the lower social level, namely the family and tribe, and attempts to act in their manner and to adopt their views.
The nation is a large family which has passed through the stage of the tribe and also through the ramifications of the tribes that have branched out of one origin; it includes as well those members who affiliated themselves with its destiny. The family, likewise, grows into a nation only after passing through the stages of the tribe and its ramifications, as well as through the stage of affiliation which comes about as a result of various types of a social mixture. Inevitably this is achieved over long periods of time. Although the passage of time creates nations, it also helps to fragment old ones. However, the common origin and shared destiny through affiliation are two historic bases for any nation, though original ranks first and affiliation second.
