Esperanto and the Market State

Abstract

The nation state is a form of government that merges a dominant ethnic or culture group with a political entity on a shared territory. It dates from the 17th and 18th centuries and it was the dominant state form in the 19th and 20th centuries. In this model, government legitimacy stems from providing services (such as education, infrastructure and social programs) to the citizenry. Esperanto is a product of the nation state period and much of the symbolism and structure of the Esperanto movement is tied to nation state ideas. At present however, according to many social and political analysts, this form of state organization is now in decline and a new state form, often referred to as the market state, is emerging. In the market state the relationship between citizens and governments, as well as governments with each other, undergo profound, far reaching changes. This article examines opportunities and obstacles that this new state form poses for the Esperanto movement.