Proudhon’s Critique of Nationalism in His Federalism Vision

This study first situates the discourse on Proudhon’s federalism and nationalism within the framework of his comprehensive economic, social, and philosophical system. Proudhon attempts to construct a federalism based on an associational and decentralized political structure that could accommodate plural groups and avoid the exclusive interpretation of sovereignty that prevailed in nationalism at the time. Such federalism is not only a design of political institutions but also a reflection of his economic mutualism and the idea of commutative justice. Then, this study proposes a relatively concise and intuitive dual critique framework to focus on how his federalism directly refutes nationalism. Proudhon’s federalism aims to protect the culture, language, and identity of minority groups from the oppression of the unitary nation-state internally, and advocates the establishment of an external confederation beyond national borders to eliminate national conflicts and achieve universal peace.