First published in 1927, National Character

is based upon a course of ten lectures on citizenship, delivered, under the terms of the Stevenson Foundation, in the University and the City of Glasgow during the latter part of 1925 and the beginning of 1926. The author argues that to see how nations have become what they are may be the best way of discovering how they can make themselves other than what they are.

Content and Themes

Divided into two parts—the material factors and the spiritual factors, the book discusses themes like race, territory and climate, population and occupation, growth of national spirit, law and government, influence of churches, role of literature and thought, and ideas and system of education to understand the factors behind the formation of national character. This is an important historical reference work for scholars and researchers of political studies and political philosophy.