Reflections from social identity theory on authoritarianism, fundamentalism, and narratives of nationalism and multiculturalism: from Ezra/Nehemia/Ruth to the post-colonial era

This chapter offers a social identity theory (SIT) perspective on conflicting narratives on nationalism, exploring its capacity to foster collective solidarity while also enabling exclusion and authoritarianism. Challenging the post-war liberal consensus that treats nationalism as inherently suspect, the chapter argues for a consistent and coherent evaluative framework that transcends presumptive power-based asymmetries. Drawing on classical and contemporary examples, including the biblical texts of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ruth, the chapter illustrates the moral complexities of nation-building and boundary maintenance. Through these narratives, the chapter suggests a more nuanced approach to ethnic and civic nationalisms and highlights the tension between inclusion and identity integrity. At a more psychological level, the chapter critiques the dominance of individual-difference approaches to authoritarianism (e.g., RWA) and proposes an integrative, group-based analysis that reinterprets authoritarianism, orthodoxy, and fundamentalism as products of social identity processes. Finally, the chapter revisits multiculturalism, advocating for a dual-identity framework that balances subgroup distinctiveness with shared belonging. Through these multiple levels of analysis, the chapter invites a rethinking of both historical and contemporary nationalist narratives, emphasizing the contextual, negotiated, and normatively contested nature of national identity.