Social cohesion, which started with loyalty to a group by the fear of enemies, grew by processes partly natural and partly reinforced deliberate until it reached the vast conglomerations that we now know as nations.） -- Source_ Bertrand Russell : Authority and the Individual,1949, Lecture 1: Social Cohesion and Human Nature
Short Essay: No Borders from Space -- Bertrand Russell and the "Expiration Date" of the Nation-State
We use the word "nation" every day, but what exactly is it? Even if we were to become astronauts and gaze at the Earth from afar, we would see no abstract "nations," no "borders," and certainly no labels marked "citizens." All that is visible is the activity of small living beings -- humans like ourselves -- crawling upon the surface of this blue planet.
The Evolution of Life and the Origins of "Cohesion"
From single-celled amoebas to modern humans, life has continuously evolved to increase its chances of survival. For instance, it is said that the distinction between male and female emerged because it fostered genetic diversity, providing an advantage for the prosperity of life.
Let us apply this evolutionary history to the formation of society.
For fragile individual organisms to survive and protect themselves from external enemies, forming a "group" was essential. Families that once lived separately in caves eventually gathered to form "villages," which grew into "towns," and eventually expanded into "regional communities."
In his 1949 lectures, Authority and the Individual, Bertrand Russell made a sharp observation regarding this process:
"Social cohesion, which started with loyalty to a group by the fear of enemies, grew by processes partly natural and partly reinforced deliberate until it reached the vast conglomerations that we now know as nations."Mechanisms Reinforced by "Myth"
Taking Japan as an example, the prototype of the first "state" emerged in the Asuka region. However, a mere gathering of people does not automatically become what Russell calls a "vast conglomeration." To maintain a nation, more than just the physical force of a ruling "King" was required; it necessitated "myths" and "education" to ensure the group’s permanence. This is precisely the "reinforced deliberate" process Russell pointed out. By believing in a shared narrative, total strangers came to share the illusion of being "fellow citizens," thereby solidifying their cohesion.
2026: The Boundaries We Face
As of 2026, there are 193 member states in the United Nations. Looking back at history, the number of nations has fluctuated constantly through cycles of conquest and fragmentation. Because every nation harbors an instinct to expand its own influence, conflicts between states are incessant, and the seeds of war never disappear.
Is the "nation," then, an eternally indispensable fixture for humanity? Japan, too, was once divided into many "countries" (feudal domains) that fought one another desperately. Yet, through the "Abolition of Domains and Establishment of Prefectures" (Haihan Chiken) in the Meiji era, those who were once people of Satsuma or Choshu became "Japanese." An integration that seemed like a pipe dream at the time is now our undisputed reality.
A Future of "Abolishing Nations and Establishing a World Federation"
The logic that "nations are necessary because there are external enemies" implies, conversely, that the framework of the nation-state will outlive its utility when humanity faces common threats -- such as global environmental destruction or the runaway risks of AI -- or when we reach a state of spiritual maturity.
Just as Japan achieved Haihan Chiken, if we could one day realize a global-scale "Abolition of Nations and Establishment of a World Federation," the very concept of inter-state war should be eradicated.
This may still sound like a fairy tale. However, if we are fortunate enough to avoid a world war for the next 200 years, those who preach narrow-minded nationalism will likely appear as ludicrous as the feudal lords fighting over domains seem to us today.
That is, of course, provided we do not use the nuclear weapons and technologies we have created to bring about the "extinction" of humanity itself...
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