Nationalism and Common Sense

This chapter questions the notion of ‘common sense’ in the national context by critically examining various commonly shared knowledge patterns about the nation, its ‘others,’ and relevant social and political phenomena. Emphasizing its ‘commonness’ rather than its purported soundness, the chapter argues that social and political common sense in society is collectively produced, usually according to the parameters of the national ideology. Benefitting from cognitive and philosophical discussions on the notions of common sense and the collective mind, this chapter investigates the national(ist) nature of most shared thinking patterns in our everyday lives. In this regard, it demonstrates how our minds are formed not as ‘human’ minds in a global sense but considerably ‘national’ minds.