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The work characterises the types of nations and process of building the national states in Central and Eastern Europe. The nations in this region are more ethnic than civic and the relations between the state nations and minorities are complicated than in the West because of historical heritage and the impact of the adjacent states. The main thesis of the paper proclaim that the extreme nationalism is the vice (fault) and the moderate nationalism (patriotism) is a virtue. The moderate nationalism enables dialogue and solving the conflicts between nations and other communities in a peaceful way. Extreme nationalism makes dialogue impossible. The moderate nationalism means the love of the own nation and support of it in a privileged way but by assuring the human and civic rights to all ethnic and religious minorities in the state. The cultural authonomy should be granted to the peaceful tolerant minorities.

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Buksinski, Tadeusz
Professor Tadeusz Buksinski is the professor of philosophy at Adam Mickiewicz University and the State School of Professional Education in Kalisz. His main scientific interests concern the philosophy of politics and ethics. He is the author of 160 articles and 16 books, Coeditor of topic serie Dia-Logos in Peter Lang Publishing House.

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