A nation is a peculiar sort of community as
A. It is easy to describe but hard to define
B. It is easy to define but hard to describe
C. For every possible criterion, there are exceptions and counter examples
D. Members of the nation desire to be a part of the same political collectivity
E. Nation are not communities
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, C and D only
A. It is easy to describe but hard to define Correct. We can describe many nations built on a shared religion, language, ethnicity, history or regional culture, but it is hard to name any defining feature that every nation must have.
B. It is easy to define but hard to describe Incorrect. This turns the real point round. Describing a nation is the easy part; defining it is the hard part.
C. For every possible criterion, there are exceptions and counter examples Correct. Many nations do not share a single language, religion or ethnicity, while many languages and religions are shared across nations without making them one nation, such as all English speakers or all Buddhists.
D. Members of the nation desire to be a part of the same political collectivity Correct. Members of a nation share the desire to be part of the same political collectivity, and this desire for political unity usually shows itself as the aspiration to form a state.
E. Nation are not communities Incorrect. A nation is a sort of large-scale community – a community of communities. It is a peculiar community, but a community all the same.
NCERT (2025-26): “Communities, Nations and Nation-States … At the simplest level, a nation is a sort of large-scale community – it is a community of communities. Members of a nation share the desire to be part of the same political collectivity. This desire for political unity usually expresses itself as the aspiration to form a state. In its most general sense, the term state refers to an abstract entity consisting of a set of political-legal institutions claiming control over a particular geographical territory and the people living in it. In Max Weber’s well-known definition, a state is a ‘body that successfully claims a monopoly of legitimate force in a particular territory’ (Weber 1970:78). A nation is a peculiar sort of community that is easy to describe but hard to define.…” “…But it is hard to come up with any defining features, any characteristics that a nation must possess. For every possible criterion there are exceptions and counter-examples. For example, there are many nations that do not share a single common language, religion, ethnicity and so on. On the other hand, there are many languages, religions or ethnicities that are shared across nations. But this does not lead to the formation of a single unified nation of, say, all English speakers or of all Buddhists.…” |