Patriotism: Use with Caution
Patriotism has a different face for everyone. Some follow it blindly, some reject and oppose it, some stand indifferent, and others choose to follow it cautiously. Patriotism is also now a challenge for multi-cultural societies because the back bone of social unity can no longer be merely similarities in ethnicity, culture, or religion. In this essay, I shall state the risks of following patriotism blindly and the risks involved in rejecting patriotism completely. I will also show the practicality and correct motives for following moderate patriotism.
Patriotism is the love, commitment, and loyalty an individual feels for his or her country. In the U.S. , patriotism started after English, Scottish, and Dutch settlers achieved their independence from England (Hibben 2). Later, a migration of multi ethnic people came to aid with the development of the country, adopting it as their own (3). Psychologically, patriotism is a result of people's definition of themselves according to the groups they love and belong to (Bar-Tal 216). I shall proceed to argue the limits of this love.
Blind patriotism is most popularly seen as harmless, or even a goal worthy of effort. How is it possible that blind patriotism, something that strengthens communal unity, be harmful by any means? In Patriotism, Morality and Peace , Stephen Nathanson writes, “Most people think of patriotism as a trait that is valuable and worth encouraging. … They expect other citizens to care about and support the country and assume that patriotism is a virtue… No society can endure and flourish without some degree of commitment to its overall good” (Nathanson 3). Thus, patriotism is often viewed as a commitment necessary for the stre...
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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).
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
Ejim, Esther, and Kaci Lane Hindman. "What Is the Relationship between GDP and Unemployment Rates?" WiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, 13 June 2017. Web. 04 July 2017.
Nationalism largely influences the way people think and act, and causes dishonesty within people, as nationalists who have chosen one side, would persuade himself that his side is the strongest regardless of the facts presented against him and his beliefs. These people feel a sense of superiority as they are provided with a sense of security from serving a greater cause and feel obliged to defend it. The slightest slur or criticism from another faction can cause them to snap or even act violently. It doesn’t even have to be directed at them; just the idea of someone being against them is enough to set off a violent reaction. This can be seen in the novel as the Two-Minute Hate, where propaganda is played for an audience and everyone present feels obligated to shout out insults and are prone to outburst or violence in the face of enemies of the Party in order to protect their
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.
The authoritarian regimes of the Middles cycled through a pattern of anti-western policy until the globalization effects of economics and information demanded reform. As conservative Arab states try to maintain the autocracy they relied on after gaining independence, their citizens, affected by information and education expansion, challenge their resistant governments as typified by Syria’s unwillingness to capitulate. The proliferation of information and education underscored the protest movements of the Arab Spring because citizens’ contempt for their obstinate governments grew to large under economic pressures, as the current situation in Syria demonstrates.
Democracy and Islam, an article written by Irfan Ahmad1 strives to show that there is a possibility that Islam can move towards democracy. On the other hand, Islam and Liberal Democracy: A Historical Overview, an article written by Bernard Lewis2 discusses how a democracy is unable to work in Islamic States. In this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting the two articles. Both Bernard and Irfan carry weight in their arguments and have certain strong points, as well as weaknesses. The major difference between the two articles is the variation of the core definition of democracy that the writers have, and their distinct perspectives of the workings of a democracy. In addition, the articles also differ in their chosen format and the authors’ thoughts on the Catholic and Western influence. The fundamental dispute of democracy and Islam are strong in both articles, and they are resolved in a respective manner. Irfan was successful in formulating a more compelling case and was able to maintain better structure; however, I am a firm believer that Islam is a theocratic system and it is not compatible with democracy as a system of governance.
Patriotism’s narrow definition is the love or devotion to one’s country. In America, patriotism has evolved from its founding principle to become a value in American lives. This leads to many Americans having loyalty as a core American virtue. It made Americans connote the word patriotism with loyalty. To be loyalty to the country is to be patriotic; therefore, if one is not patriotic then they by definition they are not loyal to the country. This ultimatum of sorts, breaks Americans into two categorizes—Authoritarian Patriots and Democratic Patriots. The people who believe if someone is not patriotic then, they are disloyal are authoritarian patriots and it “is a resigning of one's will, right of choice, and need to understand to the authority” (Westh...
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
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.
“Imagined communities,” a book by Benedict Anderson, attempts to answer the question on why people sacrifice their life for a nation? Why people become very nationalist and ready to be killed in the bloodshed of a war for their nation?
Usually, when the professor introduces an assignment to their students, it is a lot for some of the students to take it in and the students would need a few days to read it over and develop a plan to tackle the assignment. As a result, the students would come up with a few questions regarding the assignment and this is where going over the assignment the second time comes in handy. In the second time around, this is where the professor can go over the difficult parts of the assignment and ask the students if there are any questions about the assignment since they now have the gist of the assignment. This method is a great way to help the students achieve the best grade they can earn. I believe this is the best method to explain to the students about an important assignment for the students, because not only does it help them get a better understanding how to tackle the assignment, it allows them to ask all of their questions they have. The professor can “kill two birds with one stone” by explaining the assignment again and answering questions about the assignment. I hope more professors learn about this method as it is beneficial to the students. However, will more professors learn about this method and incorporate it into their
As a poet from the Romantic era, Barbauld attempts to purport to the reader (men in particular) how having the ability to recreate another human being contributes to the emotional state of a female. The contradiction in the poems title “invisible” and “visible” aids in the role of the Romanticism period. The majority of the writers sought after the importance of focusing on the invisible just as much as the visible.