Key Nationalist Thinkers

This lesson examines four key nationalist thinkers specified by the Edexcel syllabus: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Gottfried Herder, Giuseppe Mazzini, and Frantz Fanon. Each represents a different strand of nationalist thought, and understanding their ideas is essential for A-Level exam success.

---

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

Context

Rousseau was a Geneva-born philosopher of the Enlightenment, best known for his works on political philosophy, education, and human nature. While not a nationalist in the modern sense, his ideas profoundly influenced the development of nationalism.

Key Ideas

1. The General Will

In The Social Contract (1762), Rousseau argued that legitimate government rests on the general will (volonte generale) — the collective will of the people as a whole, directed towards the common good. The general will is not simply the sum of individual preferences (the "will of all") but the higher interest of the community.

2. Popular Sovereignty