Narrating Difference and Defining the Nation in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century 'Western' Europe

This article examines the influence of Orientalist representations of Eastern Europe on definitions and theories of the nation, and their impact on normative interpretations of the nature of nations and national identity in Western Europe. It focuses on the history of the development of these normative interpretations in the decades leading up to and including the First World War. During this period European progressives--whether intellectuals, social scientists or politicians--residing in Britain and France, definitively 'Western European' states, were keen to discuss the future application of the principle of nationality, its necessity and its obstacles. With the outbreak of war in 1914, such progressive interest in the status of nations and national identities helped shape the anticipated democratic 'new world order' and the mental map of Eastern and Western Europe. I argue that their attempts to explain and represent the nature and significance of nationhood and national identity iterated Orientalist versions of Eastern Europe, and, at the same time, their definitions and theorisations of nations were replete with anomalies that defy any simply categorisation of the nature of Western Europe or the status of its nations.     

The Supreme Court in the Nineteenth Century

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, we find a Court which has not yet found its role, and whose principal impact is deciding which litigant wins in a particular lawsuit. Chief Justice John Marshall, appointed in 1801, changes that; he and his successor, Roger B. Taney, are the dominant figures in the Courts over which they preside. From 1801 until 1864-sixty-three years-the nation had only two Chief Justices; during the same time, it had fifteen presidents. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the Chief Justices are less dominant and influential, sharing their authority with several notable Associate Justices. By the end of the century, the Court is beginning to wrestle with the many problems facing the nation after a little more than a century of existence.     

Brain Physiology and the Mind in the Nineteenth Century

This article explores the integration of research and theory in nineteenth-century neurophysiology. Four generalities combine to explain their integration. They are the core beliefs of the neurologists, the pervasive habit of perceiving mind when observing behavior, the criteria for the existence of mind, and mind as an efficient cause. These generalities help explain specific choices made by certain researchers to work within the traditional model of the nervous system, to reject materialism, and to find intelligence and voluntary behaviors in physiological systems.     

Transjordan During the Nineteenth Century: Reconsidering the Relation Between Arab Tribes and Christian Religious Communities

The article aims to reconsider the history of Ottoman Transjordan during the second half of the nineteenth century. Istanbul's decision to impose its direct control over this province triggered a process of evolution and change within local political spaces. The traditional balance of power was altered and tribes were forced to accept the authority of the Ottoman Empire. States and tribes were not the only political actors. Christian religious institutions also participated in the dynamics of change. The article reconsiders the history of a Christian village of Transjordan, Madaba, to describe the complex relationship between tribes and Christian religious communities during this period of change and evolution. The section Karak highlights the main aspects that characterized the refoundation of Madaba. In the section The Exodus and the Rebirth of Madaba, the exodus of several Christian tribes from Karak to Madaba is analyzed to explain the overlap and intertwinement between the different cultural horizons and sociopolitical logics of the two actors. The section The Village of Madaba analyzes some episodes of daily life in Madaba to detail the consequences of the interaction between tribes and religious communities. Finally, the functioning of the local sociopolitical space on which the Hashemite emirate was later founded is explained. The religious community‐tribe dyad was, in fact, part of the transition from “the tribe to the state.”     

Nationalism and Imperialism in Eastern Europe

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