Review Essay: Writers on Scottish Independence

The contributors to Unstated: Writers on Scottish Independence are broadly in favour of political independence but nervous about the possible consequences of a resurgent nationalism. Many insist on the importance of Scotland's taking responsibility for her own situation. Some see independence as a political question, others in terms of cultural confidence. The former would judge independence by Scotland's subsequent political and cultural transformation; the latter more likely to treat independence as an end in itself. There is a particular tension in the book over claims that the Scots are naturally more predisposed to communal feeling than other nations.