This resulted in an obvious benefit for our society, but also a cost: what becomes of the national framework which is directly or indirectly concerned by each of these subjects and which conditions them at least indirectly? How is the idea of sovereignty faring? Do we have a new strategy to relaunch it? Are there other ways to shake Quebec out of its torpor? Where is the Quebec nation in its relationship with the federal government? How does it defend itself against multinationals? Does the action of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) follow a plan? Wouldn’t it be wise to put the nation back on the radar to see where we are? These questions come at the right time, as the Parti Québécois is experiencing a renaissance.
Other questions, once considered essential, are now in the background. This is the case of Americanization and Americanness, of the demographic parameters of the nation, of the relationship with France, of the comparison with other “small” nations, of the international presence of Quebec — I do not mention not the theme of the ethnic nation civic nation, it is outdated.
A return to the nation?
But here is the recent work of Emmanuel Lapierre (The cultural duel of nations, Boréal) reconnects with the national debate. There is reason to rejoice. This is a book that has rightly attracted attention. The reflection is carried out intelligently in a style of great quality: a clear, precise and flexible language which navigates skillfully among the refinements and pitfalls, which also entertains by sometimes familiarly challenging the reader, all this in the service of an exposition to both scholarly and very accessible. That, at least for the first half of the book.
What is it about? Lapierre first clears the ground. He takes leave of the false civic ethnic antagonism, he frees nationalism from old accusations that have been made against it (example: it would have impregnated Nazism while the latter, on the contrary, fought it), he clears Johann Gottfried Herder of his bad reputation by bringing out the pluralist, modern thinker, opposed to ethnicism, etc.
The author’s main objective in these first chapters is to explore the concept of nation from its history in order to draw from it what seems essential and new to him, namely the notion of the cultural duel of nations. He constructs his journey in a very educational way by cutting it up, each step giving rise to the examination of a pioneer who had a profound impact on the nation’s thinking. The process initially creates an impression of dispersion which quickly dissipates as the reading progresses.
Where he shows himself to be most original is in his way of treating Thomas Jefferson, who is entitled to several insights, distributed between the first chapters (later, Lapierre will proceed in the same way with Ernest Renan). He thus comes to a very positive definition of the nation.
The “duel” of nations?
About halfway through, the table is set for the main course: the “cultural duel” of nations. Here awaits us a disappointment. The author explains that nations are almost always in conflict with each other. These may be conflicts between a metropolis and its colonies or nations within the same state, one dominant, usually a majority, the other a minority, subject.
He speaks of a duel because this conflict would be the site of a dialectic: the dominant nation attacks, the other defends itself (Quebec offers a first illustration). The author asserts that it would be by virtue of this mechanism that the majority of the approximately 6,000 cultures existing today would be doomed to disappear towards the end of this century.
Why disappointment? Because, all in all, there is little new here, apart from the concept. This “duel” has long been known under other names. In many societies, there is an assimilating power on one side and resistant minorities on the other. History offers many examples of this. But what we remember above all is the astonishing capacity for survival of the dominated nations. This reminder casts a shadow over the prediction regarding the disappearance of the majority of contemporary cultures.
The other half of the book is made up of well-conducted overviews which illustrate by various examples the case of minority nations engaged in a cultural “duel” (an unexpected, but interesting chapter concerns the Montreal Canadiens and discrimination against French-speaking players in Canada). But still here, little new.
Is the word “duel” well chosen? A duel is a confrontation whose outcome is uncertain between two adversaries who have the same weapons, the same means, and who obey the same rules dictated by fairness and honor. Furthermore, the heart of a duel lies in an offense that demands redress. We are far from the cases mentioned, which relate to unequal struggles dictated by a desire for domination and sometimes extinction.
We close the book with the conviction that the very talented author can do better. We also hope that his work helps to inspire others on the same subject.