오늘날 한국에서 민족주의는 회의와 기피의 대상이다. 그것은 한편으로 과거 권위주의 정권 시절 민족주의가 권위주의를 정당화하는 이데올로기로 복무했던 데 따른 반발 때문이며, 다른 한편으로 최근 정부 정책에서 중시되는 다문화주의와 민족주의가 친화적이지 않다는 인식 때문이다.
그러나 민족주의는 강력한 사회 통합의 동력을 제공하며, 현대 민주주의 국가에서도 시민종교로서 기능할 가능성이 충분하다. 특히 시민혁명의 유산이나 공화주의 운동의 전통이 미비한 한국의 경우, 민족주의가 쇠퇴할 경우 각자의 사적 이익 추구에만 몰두하는 원자적 개인으로 시민사회가 파편화되며 공론장의 형성이 제한될 우려가 상당하다.
따라서 민족주의의 비합리적, 반민주주의적 가능성을 최소화하면서 그 통합 역량은 보존하는 방법을 모색할 필요가 있다. 이때 재조명되어야 할 역사적 시기는 ‘해방공간’으로, 이후의 역사 전개에 따라 반공주의와 권위주의에 속박되기 이전의 민족주의가 다양한 이념과 결합하며 강력한 사회개혁의 배경 이념으로 작옹하던 시기이다.
당시 극좌에서 극우에 이르는 거의 모든 이념 세력들이 민족주의를 존중하고 그에 따라 각자의 강령을 조정했으며, 민족주의를 근거로 사회개혁을 추진할 것을 주장했다. 이런 기억을 재생시키고 오늘날의 사회 통합, 민주주의 심화, 통일 의식 함양 등의 과제에 민족주의를 활용한다면 민족주의는 한국적 시민종교로서 21세기에도 긍정적인 역할을 할 수 있을 것이다.
Nationalism is loosing its supporters in Korea. Some critics detest its history as an ideological device for Korean authoritarian regimes. Others concern with its possibility of being incoherent with multiculturalistic ideas among recent government policies. But it could be used as an ideological engine for social integration. Nationalism, for its prudential supporters, can be a model of civil religion. After the fall of nationalism, Koreans, without legacies of civil revolutions and lasting republican movements, may be atomized as individuals indifferent to any public issues in fragmented civil society. Therefore, an alternative version of nationalism is wanted. This new nationalism should be constructed without irrational and anti-democratic elements, while with capability of society-integrating. For its constructing, we must revisit 'liberation space'. During 'post liberation era', in 'liberation space', nationalism could be respected by whole Koreans and infiltrated through near every socio-political movements. There was no exploitation of authoritarian regime. There was no bondage of anticommunism. In liberation space, Korean nationalism flourished to let itself be a reliable background of social reforms. Nowadays, Koreans face the heavy tasks of social integration, democracy deepening, unification consciousness improvement, and so on. With this new version of nationalism, properly constructed and controlled, the tasks would be less heavy.
Nationalism is loosing its supporters in Korea. Some critics detest its history as an ideological device for Korean authoritarian regimes. Others concern with its possibility of being incoherent with multiculturalistic ideas among recent government policies. But it could be used as an ideological engine for social integration. Nationalism, for its prudential supporters, can be a model of civil religion. After the fall of nationalism, Koreans, without legacies of civil revolutions and lasting republican movements, may be atomized as individuals indifferent to any public issues in fragmented civil society. Therefore, an alternative version of nationalism is wanted. This new nationalism should be constructed without irrational and anti-democratic elements, while with capability of society-integrating. For its constructing, we must revisit 'liberation space'. During 'post liberation era', in 'liberation space', nationalism could be respected by whole Koreans and infiltrated through near every socio-political movements. There was no exploitation of authoritarian regime. There was no bondage of anticommunism. In liberation space, Korean nationalism flourished to let itself be a reliable background of social reforms. Nowadays, Koreans face the heavy tasks of social integration, democracy deepening, unification consciousness improvement, and so on. With this new version of nationalism, properly constructed and controlled, the tasks would be less heavy.
