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In Defense of "Moderate Patriotism"

Patriotism is an ideal that makes many thoughtful people uncomfortable. They find it difficult to label themselves as "patriots" because they are uncomfortable with the rituals and symbols of national loyalty and because they worry that national loyalty implies indifference or hostility to people of other nations. Since they condemn national chauvinism and are disturbed by the associations between patriotism, militarism, and blind allegiance, they shun the word "patriot." At the same time, such people do not want to be considered disloyal. They may attach great value to many of their country's political practices and traditions, and they may even carry out the duties of citizenship conscientiously. They do not see themselves as unpatriotic and certainly do not want to be seen as traitors. Yet, the language of patriotism and loyalty seems to force them into a difficult choice. To say that one is not patriotic suggests that one lacks the loyalty that is appropriate to citizens. It is not surprising, then, that the ideas of nonpatriotic citizens are often viewed with suspicion, for their lack of patriotism seems to imply that they possess neither loyalty nor a basic concern for the well-being of the nation. Hence, their views on national conduct and policy are suspect. It appears, then, that one must either accept patriotism in spite of its undesirable features, or place oneself in the role of an outsider, whose claims about the national welfare have an uncertain status. The result for many is a chronic form of discomfort and a hope that the subject of patriotism can be kept out of political discussions. In this paper, I want to defend a conception of patriotism that thoughtful, morally conscientious people can be comfortable with. Like Alasdair MacIntyre, I will be trying to provide an affirmative answer to the question "Is Patriotism a Virtue?"'" Unlike MacIntyre, however, I have great sympathy with those who think (or fear) that patriotism is a