Racial unity is one of the stronger bonds of cohesion. Writers like Zimmern, put emphasis on racial purity and consider it as a vital factor helping in the formation and strengthening the idea of nationality.
But racial unity is not a necessary element of nationality, for no race can claim its purity.
Anthropology and history have shown that there is no pure race anywhere on earth. From the historic and prehistoric processes of development and amalgamation mankind found them split into a number of broad divisions mainly on geographical lines. Almost every section “hedged itself with pride and prejudice” and believed it a pure and superior race.
Image Source: baef480c1b9a59094802-bb7fd020772cbf1cd099f3b22c712b0b.r79.cf2.rackcdn.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
By the community of race we may then mean a belief in a common origin, fictitious or legendary. Every nationality, as a matter of fact, has legendary tales of its non-historic origin which make the people to forget the diversity of their origins.
Whenever bodies of people believe that they belong to one race, they become a group of common consciousness and interests. One of the subtle ways of satisfying this group consciousness is to judge one’s own group by its best specimens and others by their worst. This group pride is a propelling force to the development of nationalism.