Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of correlation between the modern concept of nation and its origins within the philosophy of French Enlightenment. The author attempts to determine the key characteristics of nation among the French representatives of Enlightenment, as well as compare them with the characteristic of this notion accepted at the present time. In the course of this work, a conclusion is made that due to the Enlightenment, the nation is defined as a cultural commonness and political formation, and strict pursuit of only one of the indicated interpretations generates cultural or civil nationalism. Methodological basis of this research first and foremost lies in the historical and comparative approaches, which help tracing the emergence of the concept of “nation” and its transformation with the passage of time affected by various factors. A conclusion is made that the French Enlightenment encouraged the establishment of the modern perception of nation, and produced both, positive and negative impact upon this process. The optimal way of working with different ideas of the Enlightenment is their synthesis and subsequent adjustment to the current realities of life. The growth of nationalistic moods and controversial cult of patriotism in Russia and the world confirms the importance of study of the concept of “nation” for its proper and utmost efficient application in theory and practice.