Patriotism as Bad Faith Simon Keller argues in his essay "Patriotism as Bad Faith" that patriotism is not a virtue but it is actually a vice. Keller begins by splitting the views on this philosophical debate into three different representations. The first being the "communitarian patriot", where patriotism is not only a valued virtue to someone's self but that it is actually an essential virtue. The second representation is a radical contradiction of the first, known as the "hard universalist. The hard Universalist sees patriotism as a vice instead of being any type of positive virtue. They think that everyone should be valued the same, and that there should be no favoritism. The third representation is the idea of the first two combined, to form what is called the "soft universalist." This view is understood as patriotism is allowed, and is not seen as a vice, but also that one has an obligation to the rest of the world, almost to try and treat them as a loyalty that you would have towards your own country. (p.112). Keller forms the argument of bad faith and patriotism over an example of someone who believes in many positive loyalties in their country, such as "My country stands for equality", and "My country is a free country" (p.120). Keller presents the claim that if negative evidence was presented to this patriot about their country not possessing these actual qualities, that their loyalties to their country are strong enough to not acknowledge the fact that this negative. evidence might be true. Patriotism almost leads the patriot into a state of ignorance about the negatives of their own country, and forces them to focus on the negatives of other countries. This is where Keller feels that bad faith is found in patriotism and again why Keller thinks that it acts as a vice upon one's country. I myself feel like I fall under the "soft universalist", where I can recognize the fact that patriotism has the ability to act as a vice for one's country but at the same time I could also act as strength building factor for the country. It may act as a vice when the patriotism is so strong that the patriots are blind to their loyalties just for the fact of fallowing their country.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
“Nationalism(n.) - loyalty or devotion to a nation, especially an attitude, feeling, or belief characterize by a sense of national consciousness” (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). Nationalism was a crucial part of America’s success during the War of 1812; nationalism was reflected in the post-war period through increased national pride, emphasis on national issues, increase in power and scope of the national government, and a growing sense of American identity (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). The first to arise which was the driving force behind American victories against the British was nationalism. This nationalism was expressed in four ways; patriotism, political, economical and cultural. American patriotism
In the Red Badge of Courage, the protagonist Henry, is a young boy who yearns to be a Great War hero, even though he has never experienced war himself. Anxious for battle, Henry wonders if he truly is courageous, and stories of soldiers running make him uncomfortable. He struggles with his fantasies of courage and glory, and the truth that he is about to experience. He ends up running away in his second battle.
at the other side of this situation and the country does not even know who that patriot is, the sacrifices and moral obligations a patriot makes and fulfils, to defend his country
Patriotism, as defined by sociology, is the “love and commitment to one’s country. The sociological definition for nationalism, however, is “a sense of superiority over others” (Kemmelmeier 859). Compared to nationalism, patriotism is benign in definition. With nationalism, there is “them” and then there is “us”; in essence, it creates a strong schism between nations. Radical nationalism is a severe issue as it has high potential in causing conflicts between nations. One of the most notorious examples from history is World War II. Following World War I, Germany was in shambles; the economic and political state of Germany left it vulnerable to the rise of Adolf Hitler. The bitter resentment resulting from the conclusion of World War I in combination with a new, jingoist dictator led to the creation of radical nationalism within Germany. This nationalism led to the willingness to kill indiscriminately for the country under the belief that Germany was a far superior nation and all other nations needed to be eradicated, thus leading to global
The exploration of what patriotism is and what represents patriotism is an important one more people should embark upon. If Americans are to examine patriotisms true meaning, we will be able to abolish this faux patriotism, which is represented by intimidation, censorship, and majority rules attitudes or actions. This can be replaced by feelings and actions of caring, compassion, acceptance, rationality, and nonviolence, or in other words, patriotism.
Nationalism is extreme loyalty and devotion to one particular nation, and many Americans are nationalistic about their country. But even though they are loyal to America, defining what it means to be a true American is tricky. Being American is one complex thing, but the concept of being American can not be fully grasped. What it means to be American may in fact be one of the biggest mysteries of all time. Indeed, discovering what it means to be a true American could possibly take an entire lifetime. One thing, however about all true Americans is certain: we are all alike in that each one of us is different from the Americans in important ways. We are diverse in our backgrounds, races, and religions. Nevertheless, we are exactly identical in the we feel toward our country, even though we express our pride in a million different ways.
Perhaps the most important effect of virtue is generosity. As Seneca said, “…there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.” There is no public property, because what we call our own is public. Let’s remember the truth that Christians all agree on. “The Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Ps. 24:1). This is God’s world, not ours. Only God holds the ultimate title on everything. America’s Founding Fathers explained very clearly the true meaning of the American Dream. According the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". America’s Founding Fathers clearly understood that true freedom and faith are inseparable. In other words, desire of having freedom and a strong faith could help to establish the Constitutional Republic as a nation under
In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front and the poem "The Man He Killed," the main two characters have similar thoughts and emotions towards war, they both enroll in war for reasons other than patriotism and they also feel that under different situations, their enemies could have been their friends. If both the characters really felt the reason or need to be in the war, their experiences would have been positively different. Through the characters, it is portrayed that patriotism can be expressed mainly through war, but there are other numerous ways to show your love for the country.
...powerful forces in binding people together, nationalism is a powerful force capable of inducing people to act collectively, share burdens, and even make sacrifices for the nation’s common good. As a result, it promotes the stability of democracies.
Patriotism is defined as a love for or a devotion to one’s country. With the events that happened in America on September 11th, patriotism has been in everyone’s mind and heart. Young men and women have been enlisting in the armed forces to support America. Americans are flying flags on their cars and homes to show their patriotism. Millions of Americans are donating money and blood in support of the victims of the attacks. I would define patriotism as a loyalty and commitment to America and the people in our country.
In efforts to make themselves appear more cosmopolitan and avoid being labeled xenophobic, many Swedes don’t publicly display their national pride, but on certain occasions it comes through, for example on National Day, previously Flag Day, and in international competitions to support athletes, performers, and scholars from Sweden. Despite only displaying it periodically, they always have pride for what their country stands for, especially its humanitarianism (Duxbury, Tidholm and Lilja). None of this conflicts with Swedish cosmopolitan efforts. Citizens are able to celebrate their national identity, promote the national identities of others, and at the same time support human rights in all communities, whatever those locally accepted rights may be. Nussbaum argues that patriotism is “an idealized image of a nation [as] a surrogate parent who will do one’s thinking for one,” (Nussbaum 15). She believes a culture of patriotism allows citizens to reject their moral duties to uphold human rights and instead merely follow whatever their country does. This view is simplistic, patronizing, and pessimistic. Human beings are for the most part too complex to be satisfied with such a one-way relationship. Being proud of one’s country doesn’t blind one to the humanity of those in other
The United States is presently at war in Iraq and Afghanistan where American troops are fighting and dying. At home, cars and homes display solid yellow or red, white, and blue ribbons that call for Americans to “Support Our Troops.” It is patriotic for Americans to support their daughters and sons fighting in a war, but this patriotism does not mean that Americans must blindly support the decision to go to war. Being patriotic means that Americans must do the opposite: they must question their government. Questioning the government, voting, and respecting the rights of others are what makes true patriots in a democratic society; blind following of one’s government creates dictatorships.
The recent terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have caused confusion on the topic of patriotism. The best way to start understanding patriotism is to simply define it. Patriotism is a person’s level of loyalty toward their country. Displays of true patriotism are prominent in times of despair, such as wars and terrorist attacks. However, many people have discrepancies on what displays of patriotism really are. Some people believe that showing patriotism can be accomplished by waving the flag and singing the national anthem. Others believe that a person must be much more involved in a cause to show patriotism. It is true that waving a flag doesn’t accomplish much. Although this action displays good intentions, it can be done with little effort or thought. Patriotism is much more than waving the flag and singing the national anthem.