John Stuart Mill was the eminent liberal thinker of the nineteenth century and notwithstanding all the crucial work he did in liberal philosophy, political economy and women's rights, it is his principle of nationality that I would like to bring in here.

His ideas of nationality, national character and the state of society are complex, but also subtle enough for one to begin to understand them after some effort. He worked on the idea that although national character may be something that is different to each nation, that this does not necessary mean it cannot be reconciled with liberal democracy i.e. the nation acts as the biggest community within which an individual can interact with, and it is these communities that provide the bulwark for the development of modern democracy. However, he also argued that once education has advanced enough that we can then raise our horizons from the nation to the world, thereby ensuring the development of mankind on a rational footing.

Throughout his life he buried himself in studies of the French in order to show his English compatriots how we could learn from them in certain areas, and how they could also learn from us. Another thought of his was that we do not understand our own societies if we have not studied others, something which has come to the fore again and again in my own studies.

It is only through my study of Spain and Catalonia and their respective languages that I began to understand and think clearly about the community that I myself am part of. Mill's thought gives an underpinning to my own very personal journey, and that is why I would recommend the study of history and languages to all whom possess the minimum of time for such a pursuit.

Picture: Wikipedia