[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985) › c14.s2.11 # The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c14.s2.11 The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c14.s2.11 - **Language:** English ### [c14.s2.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2.11) The problem may not be much different from that of the modern polity of the nation-state. In order to save society from dissolving, the nation-state pretends to fuse the individual citizens, each singly subject to the rule of law, into a single monolithic unity. It represents a maximal concentration of both power and authority. Hence its inviolability. But it must then direct its inner conflict outward to other nation-states. The more strongly fusion and unity are stressed, the more explosive is the conflict. We know the catastrophic consequences. - [Previous: c14.s2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2.10) - [Next: c14.s2.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2.12) - [Up: c14.s2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c14.s2.11) · Pramāṇa