Theorising the anti‐nation: George Woodcock, anarchism, and Canadian nationalism

George Woodcock was anarchism's most influential historian and an important public intellectual in Canada. This article focuses on his engagement with Canadian nationalism the 1960s 1970s. It argues that a ‘philosophical anarchism’ at heart of project, this informed reading cultural development subsequent political challenge to Pierre Elliott Trudeau's civic nationalism. decoupled concepts ‘nation’ ‘state’ order develop radically different model for Canada—the ‘anti-nation’—defined by regionalism, federalism direct democracy. His Canada's history supporting position therefore part strategy repurpose nationalist rhetoric towards anti-state ends.