More than 99% of humanity lives in nation states. But nations are less than 200 years old, and today many countries are sliding into xenophobia, debt and a cost of living crisis. With the liberal ideas that underpinned the nation-state system -- human rights, dignity, security for all – in retreat, millions are feeling abandoned by the nation-state, and turning to cross-border migration in desperation.
At the same time, nation states are proving ill-equipped to handle urgent planetary threats such as climate change and ecological collapse. Is the nation-state system in decline? Will it be, or can they be, replaced by a new system?
Novelist and essayist Rana Dasgupta explores these themes in ‘After Nations: The Making and Unmaking of a World Order’, a fascinating historical and political analysis of the nation state. He spoke to The Mag about his new book, and what a ‘post-nation’ future might look like.
Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu
Producers: Shiksha Jural and Jude Weston
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