Between Identity and Freedom: Mapping Nationalism in Twentieth Century Lithuania

A phenomenon of the conjunction of thought and action, nationalism can never be located within a single political ideology or moral culture; nor can it be solely represented by social or cultural movements. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it manifested itself first in the philosophies of history and culture, poetry and prose (thus anchoring itself in aristocratic culture), and only later in various popular currents. Nationalism proved adaptable to liberalism, conservatism, and socialism: this is precisely why it makes no sense to overgeneralize nationalism either as part and parcel of the principle of collective identity or as the embodiment of social evil. In fact, nationalism-nearly from its inception-had been an inescapable part of liberalism. In the long run, however, their paths diverged. [...]