What Is a Nation?
by Nathalie Krikorian-Duronsoy, Ernest Renan, Ethan Rundell
What Is a Nation? (Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?) is Ernest Renan's lecture given at the Sorbonne on 11 March 1882 and printed by Calmann Lévy the same year. Rejecting race, language and religion as foundations, Renan defines a nation by shared memory and consent, famously calling it a daily plebiscite.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First published
- Calmann Lévy, 1882
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Editions
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Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 2 on Open Library, 2 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 11 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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How many editions of What Is a Nation? are there?
We track 1 edition of What Is a Nation?. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
When was What Is a Nation? first published?
What Is a Nation? by Nathalie Krikorian-Duronsoy, Ernest Renan, Ethan Rundell was first published in 1882.
Where these facts come from
- What Is a Nation?, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Qu'est-ce qu'une nation ?, Wikipédia (French) (fr.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 30 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.