The eighth episode of the Democracy Paradox features Israeli scholar Yael Tamir as we discuss her recent book Why Nationalism. Yael Tamir offers a refreshing look at nationalism as she looks to reclaim the concept from conservatives. We delve into some of the important concepts of her book but also apply these ideas to current events including the pandemic, Catalan separatism, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tamir studied under the intellectual giant Isaiah Berlin at Oxford. She explains how Berlin became her mentor because nobody else was interested in her dissertation on nationalism!!! We discuss some of Berlin's ideas and his influence on her ideas near the end of the podcast.

Thanks to Apes of the State for permission to use their tracks "The Internet Song" and "Plate Glass Apology. You can find their music on Spotify or their Bandcamp. Thanks to James Schneider and Princeton University Press for helping me connect with Yael Tamir. They also provided me a review copy of her book.

Take the time to visit my blog at www.democracyparadox.com. I have written 70 reviews of both classic and contemporary works of political science with an emphasis on democracy. This week I reviewed Isaiah Berlin's Against the Current. It is a great companion to Tamir's work Why Nationalism. Please visit the website and read my book reviews. And don't forget to subscribe to keep up with future episodes.

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