Ideas from 'Community and Citizenship' by David Miller [1989], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Communitarianism and Individualism' (ed/tr Avineri,S. /de-Shalit,A.) [OUP 1992,0-19-878028-1]].

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24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 4. Citizenship
Citizenship involves a group of mutually supporting rights, which create community and equality
                        Full Idea: The idea of citizenship is that rights support each other. Protective and welfare rights provide a basis for a political role. This underpins a sense of membership, and an obligation to provide welfare. Rights confer equal status and self-respect.
                        From: David Miller (Community and Citizenship [1989], 3)
                        A reaction: A helpful eludation of what a richer concept of citizenship than mere membership might look like. Communitarians have a different concept of rights from that of liberals.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 14. Nationalism
Socialists reject nationality as a false source of identity
                        Full Idea: The socialist tradition has been overwhelmingly hostile to nationality as a source of identity, usually regarding it merely as an artificially created impediment to the brotherhood of man.
                        From: David Miller (Community and Citizenship [1989], 2)
                        A reaction: I have some sympathy with this, especially when nationalism is expressed in terms of enemies, but the question of what community a person can plausibly identify with is difficult. We start in hunter gather tribes of several hundred.