Summary
The philosopher and cultural theorist Kwame Anthony Appiah argues against a mythical, romantic view of nationhood, saying instead it should rest on a commitment to shared values.
He explores the history of the idea, born in the 19th century, that there are peoples who are bound together by an ancient common spirit and that each of these nations is entitled to its own state. He says this idea is a mistaken one, illustrating his argument through the life story of the writer who took the pen name Italo Svevo - meaning literally Italian Swabian. He was born a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and became a citizen of the new republic of Italy, all without leaving his home city of Trieste. Appiah argues that states exist as a set of shared beliefs rather than membership of some sort of mythical and ancient group. "What binds citizens together is a commitment," he says, "to sharing the life of a modern state, united by its institutions, procedures and precepts."
The lecture is recorded in front of an audience at the University of Glasgow. The series is presented and chaired by Sue Lawley. Future lectures will examine the themes of colour and culture.
The producer is Jim Frank.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the second of this year's Reith Lectures. |
| 0:05.0 | Today we're guests of the University of Glasgow, |
| 0:08.0 | the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. |
| 0:12.0 | Founded in 1451, it predates by two and a half centuries, |
| 0:17.0 | the Union of Scotland with England. |
| 0:19.0 | It's produced seven Nobel laureates, |
| 0:21.6 | two UK Prime Ministers, |
| 0:23.6 | and more recently, Scotland's First Minister, Nicholas Sturgeon. |
| 0:27.6 | In the 18th century, Glasgow was a centre for the Scottish Enlightenment. |
| 0:32.6 | In the 19th, trade gave it the title of Second City of the British Empire. Today, it's a place a buzz with talk of independence |
| 0:41.3 | and the role of Scotland as a nation on its own. |
| 0:44.3 | Proud of its history, its learning and its people, |
| 0:47.3 | it's a good place to hear a lecture about the nature of identity. |
| 0:52.3 | In his series' mistaken identities, the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah |
| 0:57.2 | is arguing that the subjects we rely on in order to try to define ourselves are often wrong or |
| 1:03.7 | misleading. He began in London talking about religious identity. In forthcoming programs, he'll be |
| 1:10.1 | talking about race and about culture. |
| 1:12.6 | But here in Scotland, his subject couldn't be more topical. |
| 1:16.6 | It's country. |
| 1:17.6 | Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the BBC's Reith Lecturer 2016, |
| 1:22.6 | Professor Anthony Appiah. |
| 1:24.6 | Thank you. Anthony Appiah. |
... |
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