What is patriotism, and who is a patriot? Does patriotism require us to affirm “my country right or wrong” or to protest at injustice? What should we do if patriotism or love of country conflicts with other loyalties and obligations? Is patriotism even a virtue and, if so, what kind is it? Has patriotism outlived its usefulness? These apparently simple questions form the core of this book.
I am not alone in asking these questions. Books about patriotism are a dime a dozen. The most familiar kind is the book written by some earnest American, often a celebrity or other well-known figure, affirming his or her faith in flag and country. My favorite work in this genre is Black Belt Patriotism, by the martial arts action hero Chuck Norris. There is also a serious philosophical literature on patriotism that has grown out of Alasdair MacIntyre’s classic article “Is Patriotism a Virtue?,” which asks whether it is possible to give ethical preference to one’s own country if this offends universal standards of justice. I believe it is, and will explain why later in this book.1
There are two absolutely indispensable books on this topic. The first, by political theorist Maurizio Viroli, is titled For Love of Country.2 This work admirably tries to disentangle patriotism from the tortured history of European nationalism. It is learned and wise but focuses entirely on European examples, and therefore it does not address the singularity of American patriotism. The other work, by constitutional scholar Walter Berns, is called Making Patriots.3 There is much of value in this short work, but since it was written before 2001, it could not anticipate the renewed attention given to national security, immigration, and the rise of ethno-nationalism—themes that have framed recent debates over American national identity. No doubt some future events will make my own analysis seem equally innocent, but that is a danger for anyone who commits pen to paper. This book is for this moment.
I would like to thank several people for reading and making invaluable suggestions toward improving this book. I want to thank my editor, William Frucht, for his support throughout the various stages of seeing this book through to completion. Special thanks go to David Bromwich, Bryan Garsten, Tony Kronman, and Russ Muirhead for agreeing to participate in a workshop where they went over every aspect of the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, asking deep and probing questions. My former student and now consigliere, Justin Zaremby, provided characteristically penetrating insights. John Dearborn, my former teaching assistant and now colleague in Yale’s Center for the Study of Representative Institutions, gave further of his time and intelligence. Rabbi Nahum Braverman read the entire manuscript and made several useful comments. Andy Lipka, using his ophthalmologist’s eye, X-rayed the book as no one else had. I would like to acknowledge the help of Rogers Smith and Joshua Cherniss for reading an earlier paper titled “Patriotism as Loyalty,” which appeared in the Fall 2019 issue of Social Research. Last but not least, I would like to thank my sharpest critic, my wife, Susan, for responding to my complaints and helping to keep the book on track.