For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and NationalismReconstructing the historical meaning of the terms nationalism and patriotism, Viroli shows how the two concepts have been used within specific cultural and ideological contexts. He reviews the political thought of modern and early modern Europe, with particular emphasis on France, Italy, England, and Germany, and comes up with a fundamental difference between patriotism and nationalism. Viroli argues that patriotism and nationalism are two ideologies that aim to reinforce and channel two different and powerful political passions: the love of a common good and the love of uniqueness and homogeneity. The Patriot is a supporter of the republic, his enemies are tyranny and corruption; the Nationalist supports ethnic, cultural, or religious unity, and fights against impurity, contamination, and diversity. He concludes, therefore, that while it is morally acceptable to be a patriot, it is morally unacceptable, as well as unnecessary, to be a nationalist to defend the values that nationalists hold dear. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of political theory and political science, as well as to historians of political thought. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 The Legacy of Republican Patriotism | 18 |
2 Decline and Revival | 41 |
3 Patriotism and the Politics of the Ancients | 63 |
4 The Birth of the Language of Nationalism | 95 |
5 The Nationalization of Patriotism | 140 |
Patriotism without Nationalism | 161 |
189 | |
199 | |
Other editions - View all
For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism Maurizio Viroli No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
ancients attachment citizens citizenship civic virtue civil commitment to liberty common liberty compassion complètes concept constitution corruption defend democracy democratic despotism distinction duty Encyclopédie equal ethnic ethnocultural false virtue fatherland feel fellow-citizens Fichte Florentine free republic German German nation German patriotism Herder honour human Ibid idea ideal individual intellectual interest Italian Italy izens justice la patrie language of patriotism language of republican laws Lipsius live love of common love of coun love of country love of liberty love their country loyalty Machiavelli Mazzini means modern modern men monarch Montesquieu moral national culture nationalist nature Niccolò Machiavelli obligation oppression particular passion patria Philosophie political liberty political love political virtue powerful princes principle protect reason religious remarks republic republican patriotism rhetoric Roman Rousseau sense share social soil soul spiritual freedom spiritual unity stresses sustained tion trans true patriotism values vertu virtuous words writes