national question

plural national questions

1. governmentThe question over how to resolve the tension between proletarian internationalism and nationalist self-determination.

   The national question must be clearly considered and solved by all class-conscious workers.

   1913 May 10, Vladimir Lenin, “The Working Class and the National Question”, in George Hanna, transl., Marxists Internet Archive, published 2004

   2 more examples

   Marx offered neither a systematic theory of the national question, a precise definition of the concept of a ‘nation’, nor a general political strategy for the proletariat in this domain.

   1976 March–April, Michael Löwy, “Marxists and the National Question”, in New Left Review, number 96, →DOI

   For Marxists, the national question presents one of the most challenging and complex questions - one for which there is no “catch-all” formula.

   2019 July 4, Ben Curry, “Marxists and the National Question”, in In Defence of Marxism