Patriotism v. Nationalism

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.mahablog.com/2006/02/19/patr ... tionalism/



Patriotism is proud of a country’s virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country’s virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, “the greatest,” but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is. — Sydney J. Harris

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.mahablog.com/2006/02/19/patr ... tionalism/


The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war.

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.mahablog.com/2006/02/19/patr ... tionalism/


I’m sure by now you see where I’m going with this: Righties are not patriots, but nationalists. And I’m arguing that one of the basic differences between a patriot and a nationalist is that patriots value responsibility. This includes the citizen’s responsibility to his country, a country’s responsibility to its citizens, and the responsibility of a country and its citizens to the rest of the world.

Nationalists, on the other hand, do not value responsibility. They value loyalty, and their loyalty is a type of tribalism. The loyalty may not necessarily be to one’s fellow citizens, but only to members of their tribe. You know the righties feel absolutely no loyalty to us lefties, for example, even though we are fellow-citizens.

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.mahablog.com/2006/02/19/patr ... tionalism/


Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. “Patriotism” is its cult. It should hardly be necessary to say, that by “patriotism” I mean that attitude which puts the own nation above humanity, above the principles of truth and justice; not the loving interest in one’s own nation, which is the concern with the nation’s spiritual as much as with its material welfare—never with its power over other nations. Just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love, love for one’s country which is not part of one’s love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship.

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.mahablog.com/2006/02/19/patr ... tionalism/


Nationalism is militant hatred. It is not love of our countrymen: that, which denotes good citizenship, philanthropy, practical religion, should go by the name of patriotism. Nationalism is passionate xenophobia. It is fanatical, as all forms of idol-worship are bound to be. And fanaticism—l’infame denounced by Voltaire—obliterates or reverses the distinction between good and evil. Patriotism, the desire to work for the common weal, can be, must be, reasonable: “My country, may she be right!” Nationalism spurns reason: “Right or wrong, my country.” — Albert L. Guerard

Nationalism … is the worship of the collective power of a local human community. Unlike the faith in progress through science, nationalism is not a new religion; it is a revival of an old one. This was the religion of the city-states of the pre-Christian Greco-Roman world. It was resuscitated in the West at the Renaissance, and this resuscitation of the Greco-Roman political religion has been far more effective than the resuscitation of the Greco-Roman style of literature, visual art, and architecture. Modern Western nationalism, inspired by Greco-Roman political ideals and institutions, has inherited the dynamism and fanaticism of Christianity. Translated into practice in the American and French Revolutions, it proved to be highly infectious. Today, fanatical nationalism is perhaps 90 percent of the religion of perhaps 90 percent of mankind. — A.J. Toynbee

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.al-islam.org/islamandnationalism/


Chapter 4

Part Four: The Philosophy Refuting Nationalism

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1- The difference between patriotism and nationalism

Patriotism and nationalism are two perfectly different concepts, the distinction between which is sometimes not understood.

Patriotism is a natural and instinctive human feeling, whereas nationalism is not a sentiment, but an ideology. The former is sentimental, whereas the latter is a pseudo-creed on which the instinct and sentiment are based.

The school of nationalism is built upon two animal instincts of man which he has in common with other creatures, namely the 'group instinct' and the 'love of home'. Nationalism begins with these two instincts, eventually ending in a pseudo-religion which causes these relatively innocent sentiments to become dangerously fanatical.


... / ...

[schoolmaster1954]

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/29/135343.php


Patriotism, Freedom, and Nationalism
Written by JP
Published June 29, 2006

Independence Day approaches, and we're in the danger zone of overinflated patriotism. Can one be too patriotic? This post and comment exchange at Peach Pundit lead me to conclude that indeed, one can love one's country too much.

The article concerns a Mike Luckovich cartoon depicting American soldiers training Al Qaeda members to torture. The cartoon was - in an unfortunate and hurtful editing decision the paper should apologize for - printed on the same page as a photo showing two American soldiers brutally killed in Iraq. The printing of the cartoon itself has drawn outrage from some on the right, who insist the paper should be reprimanded for allowing such content — and not surprisingly, due to its being highlighted on right-wing RedState, the cartoon received an unlikely number of negative votes.

... / ...

[schoolmaster1954]

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Fiel ... cle29.html


The Prohibition of Nationalism in Islam

Nationalism is a concept alien to Islam because it calls for unity based on
family and tribalistic ties, whereas Islam binds people together on the
`Aqeedah, that is belief in Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw). Islam
calls for the ideological bond.

Grouping the Muslims on tribalistic lines is clearly forbidden. It is
narrated by Abu Da'wud that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said,

"He is not one us who calls for `Asabiyyah, (nationalism/tribalism) or who
fights for `Asabiyyah or who dies for `Asabiyyah."


... / ...

[Diri]

I disagree with his definition of Nastionalism in part... Because what he is describing is known as "Fascism" not "Nationalism"...

Yes a nationalist will boost and brag about his/her country - yet he/she will not necessarily be "contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries"...

[Parsi]

I don't agree with your idea of nationalism either. I'm very nationalistic of Iran but I don't agree with most of the things the IRI does.