The concepts nation and nationality are relatively new in the sense in which we understand them, writes Mises. Of course, the word nation is very old; it derives from Latin and spread early into all modern languages. But another meaning was associated with it. Only since the second half of the eighteenth century did it gradually take on the significance that it has for us today, and not until the nineteenth century did this usage of the word become general. FULL ARTICLE
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Chillingly, here Mises adumbrates the racial policies of the Nazis that he himself had to flee.
For readers of English, it may NOT be true that Mises’s book was (as Keynes’s “The Consequences of the Peace” was) published in 1919. This book was written in German, and largely to and for German speakers, despite its total applicability to speakers of any language. It was published in English translation only later. Does anybody know WHEN this might have been, and/or who the translator was? The English text certainly rings true to Mises. The description of the book in the Mises Store offers no hint of the answers.
What Mises does NOT seem to anticipate in these passages is his OWN linguistic movements from German to (first) French (around 1937) and later to English (around 1940). Nothing he wrote here was contradicted by the later events, but it would have been interesting to hear his perspective from, say, 1950 on his 1919 remarks.
It was translated by Leland Yeager and first published in 1983.
Wasn’t this man just astonishing?
I can remember first reading this and getting a bit of a chill at how much this fellow understood everything.
Yes, the penetration of Mises’s insights almost seems supernatural. The chief demystifier of the performance is its matter-of-fact, unequivocal, and pre-eminently logical presentation.
It gives one the feeling that if one can just think straight (don’t overlook to think – most people do), one can anticipate, and possibly avoid most of the social catastrophes that befall the great masses of mankind.
Certainly, Mises’s own life (with his escape from the Holocaust) suggests this.
Please stop using the expression “the Ukraine”. This expression is outdated and offensive to Ukrainians. The correct name of the country is “Ukraine”. This nation’s language has been developing for centuries in both eastern and western Ukraine,which testifies to the fact that Ukrainians speak Ukrainian in most villages and towns across the country. The eastern part of the country was a part of the Russian empire for over three centuries and,therefore,Russian is prevalent in large cities.Nevertheless,almost 68% of Ukraine’s citizens today speak Ukrainian at home and at work.Please educate yourselves about Ukraine’s history in order to avoid making statements that are demeaning to Ukrainians.
Where are you from originally? I am from Bengal though many of my ancestors are from Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, Sind and other states. I have interacted with people from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Kashmir and other parts of the country. I generally think of myself as Indian.
What about your ethinicity? I think Hindi or Desi works well.
What is your openion about the Partition? I think it went well, some reorginization is required to better utilize the resources.
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