Johann Gottfried von Herder

Johann Gottfried von Herder Nationalism

Herder's definition of the term 'nation' differs significantly from the contemporary meaning of the word. When Herder was developing his concept of the 'nation', Germany was not yet a unified country. Germani people lived in several principalities and independent states, known collectively as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Prussia, Herder's place of birth, emerged as the most powerful state. The regime which ruled Prussia during this period was all-powerful and did not allow its academics and intellectuals to participate in political matters. These factors were important in forming Herder's theory of a nation.

The double-headed eagle with coats of arms of individual states, the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, Hans Burgkmair the Elder, 1510, Public Domain, Wikimedia commons

Herder saw the 'state' and the 'nation' as two separate concepts. He insisted that nations were not political structures, but rather distinct societies that could also exist within multi-national states. To be considered a nation, Herder believed that a society must have a distinctive language and culture. Inspired by Hamann's work, Herder adopted a romantic approach and believed that language and culture were gifted to societies by God, thereby rejecting the generalised rational approach of enlightenment thinkers.

Herder believed that nations created natural borders as opposed to the fabricated borders which states established regardless of which nations they contained. Therefore, Herder was not a nationalist in the contemporary sense, but a cultural nationalist. He believed that all nations had a distinctive Volkgeist (the spirit or essence of the people) which bound them together and that this Volkgeist should be protected and passed on through generations.

Another key aspect of Herder's nationalism was the idea that nations would eventually coexist peacefully alongside one another. Each volk (or 'people') would progress and retain their Volkgeist without the need for conquest and rivalry.

Johann Gottfried von Herder's Cultural Philosophy

Herder believed that culture is history and that it is expressed, passed on and retained through the art and language of a nation. His cultural philosophy can be largely summarised in two main points:

1. Language and Genetics: Herder believed that as the Volk or people developed, their own distinct culture developed out of their language and shared history. This is because communities learned to communicate among themselves through a specific language. Each community’s language was distinct; people who spoke the same language were, therefore, initially genetically related. These communities eventually developed into nations with particular cultures and ways of life that would be handed down throughout history, using language as a tool. Sometimes, these communities have been separated by artificially-imposed borders.
2. Anti-imperialism: Herder believed that imperialism destroyed indigenous cultures. This is because imperialists would often enforce their own beliefs and cultures upon the colonised people, resulting in the gradual eradication of their languages and cultures over time, which for Herder, meant the loss of the Volkgeist. This would lead to conflict and discontent, as only a common Volkgeist and language can guarantee peace and happiness within a nation.

Herder was a pluralist, who desired the protection of all distinct cultures and languages. In modern terminology, Herder would be considered an unyielding opponent of cultural appropriation, as he believed that it polluted the natural and god-given culture of a particular people, and would eventually lead to their destruction whilst causing irreversible damage to other cultures.

He was also a cultural relativist, as he rejected the racist notion of enlightenment, which sought to spread the 'universal' ideas of rationality and reason to 'civilise' people and allow human progression. He insisted that each culture creates its own standard for 'civilisation' and that each culture and nation is equally valid within its own context.