Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, political, or historical aspects. It may encompass a set of concepts closely related tonationalism, mostlycivic nationalism and sometimescultural nationalism.^{[1][page needed][2]}

An excess of patriotism is calledchauvinism; another related term isjingoism.

TheEnglish word "patriot" derived from "compatriot", in the 1590s, fromMiddle Frenchpatriote in the 15th century. The French word'scompatriote andpatriote originated directly from Late Latinpatriota "fellow-countryman" in the 6th century. FromGreekpatriotes "fellow countryman", frompatrios "of one's fathers",patris "fatherland". The termpatriot was "applied to barbarians who were perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive and who had only a common Patris or fatherland." The original European meaning ofpatriots applied to anyone who was a fellow countryman regardless of the socio-economic status.^[3]

The use of patriotism and nationalism originally shared a similar meaning in the 19th century, but their use and connotation gradually grew apart. TheMerriam-Webster defines patriotism as "love for or devotion to one’s country", whereas nationalism is defined as "loyalty and devotion to a nation".^{[definition needed]} Today, nationalism has gained a more negative connotation.^[4][5] In contrast, patriotism is used to refer to genuine pride in one's nation, recognizing both its merits and flaws.^[6][7] A similar distinction between the terms was also upheld byGeorge Orwell, whose essayNotes on Nationalism, distinguished patriotism from the related concept ofnationalism:

By 'patriotism' I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige,not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.^[8]

The notions ofcivic virtue and group dedication can be found in cultures globally throughout history.^{[9][better source needed]} ForEnlightenment thinkers of 18th-century Europe, loyalty to the state was chiefly considered in contrast to loyalty to theChurch. It was argued that clerics should not be allowed to teach in public schools since theirpatrie was heaven, so they could not inspire a love of the homeland in their students. One of the most influential proponents of this notion of patriotism wasJean-Jacques Rousseau.^{[1][page needed]}

Enlightenment thinkers also criticized what they saw as the excess of patriotism. In 1774,Samuel Johnson publishedThe Patriot, a critique of what he viewed as false patriotism. On the evening of 7 April 1775, he made the famous statement, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".^[10]James Boswell, who reported this comment in hisLife of Johnson, does not provide context for the quote, and it has therefore been argued that Johnson was in fact attacking a false use of "patriotism" by contemporaries such asJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (the patriot-minister) and his supporters; Johnson spoke elsewhere in favor of what he considered "true" patriotism.^[11] However, there is no direct evidence to contradict the widely held belief that Johnson's famous remark was a criticism of patriotism itself.^{[citation needed]}

Many patriotic people take pride in sharing a distinct, common culture, believing it to be central to theirnational identity and unity. Many are devoted to the preservation of their traditional culture and encouragecultural assimilation by people from other cultures. However, some of the morecivic forms of patriotism tend to de-emphasize ethnic culture in favor of a sharedpolitical culture.^[12]

Patriotism may be strengthened by adherence to anational religion (acivil religion or even atheocracy). This is the opposite of theseparation of church and state demanded by the Enlightenment thinkers who saw patriotism and faith as similar and opposed forces.Michael Billig andJean Bethke Elshtain both argued that the difference between patriotism and faith is difficult to discern and relies largely on the attitude of the one doing the labeling.^[13]

Christopher Heath Wellman, professor ofphilosophy atWashington University in St. Louis, says a popular view of the "patriotist" position is robust obligations to compatriots and only minimalsamaritan responsibilities to foreigners.^[14] Wellman calls this position "patriotist" rather than "nationalist" to single out the members of territorial, political units rather than cultural groups.^[14]

Voltaire stated that "It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind."^[15]Arthur Schopenhauer wrote that "The cheapest sort of pride is national pride; for if a man is proud of his own nation, it argues that he has no qualities of his own of which a person can be proud."^[16]

Kōtoku Shūsui, a famous Japaneseanarchist of the late 19th/early 20th century, devoted a large section of his widely readImperialism, Monster of the Twentieth Century to a condemnation of patriotism.^[17]: 5 One of the many arguments is based on theConfucian value of empathy: "I am as convinced asMencius that any man would rush without hesitation to rescue a child who was about to fall into a well... A human being moved by such selfless love and charity does not pause to think whether the child is a family member or a close relative. When he rescues the child from danger, he does not even ask himself whether the child is his own or belongs to another."^[17]: 143 Patriotism is used to dehumanize others whom we would naturally have empathy for. He argues, "[P]atriotism is a discriminating and arbitrary sentiment confined to those who belong to a single nation-state or live together within common national borders",^[17]: 59 a sentiment cultivated and used by militarists in their drive for war.

Marxists have taken various stances regarding patriotism. On one hand,Karl Marx famously stated that "The working men have no country"^[18] and that "the supremacy of the proletariat will cause [national differences] to vanish still faster." The same view is promoted by present-dayTrotskyists such asAlan Woods, who is "in favor of tearing down all frontiers and creating a socialist world commonwealth."^[19] On the other hand,Marxist-Leninists andMaoists are usually in favor ofsocialist patriotism based on the theory ofsocialism in one country.^{[20][page needed]}

Againstprimordial arguments in favour of national patriotism,Eric Hobsbawm wrote that such a concept was - for most of human history - "so remote from the real experience of most human beings".^[21]

Anarchists oppose patriotism.^[22] This was exemplified byEmma Goldman, who stated:

Indeed, conceit, arrogance, and egotism are the essentials of patriotism. Let me illustrate. Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, and more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living in that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in an attempt to impose his superiority upon all the others.^[23]

In theEuropean Union, thinkers such asJürgen Habermas have advocated a "Euro-patriotism", but patriotism in Europe is usually directed at thenation-state and more often than not coincides with "Euroscepticism".^[24]

Several surveys have tried to measure patriotism, such as theCorrelates of War project which found some correlation between war propensity and patriotism. The results from different studies are time-dependent. For example, according to the project, patriotism inGermany beforeWorld War I ranked at or near the top^{[compared to?]}. According to a study by the Identity Foundation, 60% ofGermans were proud of their country in 2009.^[25] According toStatista, the figure was as high as 83%.^[26] In a 2020Pew Research Center survey, 53% of participants surveyed in Germany said they were proud of their country, the highest figure among the nations surveyed (France (45%),United Kingdom (41%),United States (39%).^[27]

Since 1981^[update], theWorld Values Survey polls for national values and beliefs. The survey includes the question "Are you proud to be [insert nationality]?"; the answers to which range from 1 (not proud) to 4 (very proud). They then use the average answer given to create comparisons between not only nations but also high and low income citizens.^[28]

In 2022, U.S. adults who said they were "extremely proud" to be an American hit an all-time low, according to aGallup poll.^[29]

• Collective narcissism – Psychological tendency to exaggerate the positive image of one's social group
• Cultural identity – Identity or feeling of belonging to a group
• Patriot movement – American conservative political movement

• Bar-Tal, Daniel; Staub, Ervin (1999).Patriotism in the Lives of Individuals and Nations. Wadsworth Publishing Company.ISBN 0-8304-1410-X.
• Blatberg, Charles (2000).From Pluralist to Patriotic Politics: Putting Practice First. Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-829688-6.
• Calhoun, Craig (2004). "Is it Time to Be Postnational?". In May, Stephen; Modood, Tariq; Squires, Judith (eds.).Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Minority Rights. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 231–56.ISBN 9780511489235.
• Cohen, Joshua;Nussbaum, Martha C. (1996).For Love of Country: Debating the Limits of Patriotism. Beacon Press.ISBN 0-8070-4313-3.
• Gomberg, Paul (2002). "Patriotism is Like Racism". InPrimorac, Igor (ed.).Patriotism. Humanity Books. pp. 105–12.ISBN 1-57392-955-7.
• Habermas, Jürgen (1996). "Appendix II: Citizenship and National Identity".Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy. Translated by Rehg, William. MIT Press.
• Huizinga, Johan (1959). "Patriotism and Nationalism in European History".Men and Ideas. History, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance. Translated by Holmes, James S.; van Marle, Hans. New York: Meridian Books.
• MacIntyre, Alasdair (1995). "Is Patriotism a Virtue?". In Beiner, R. (ed.).Theorizing Citizenship. State University of New York Press. pp. 209–28.
• Orwell, George (1953)."Notes on Nationalism".England Your England and Other Essays. Secker and Warburg.
• Primoratz, Igor, ed. (2002).Patriotism. Humanities Press International.ISBN 1-57392-955-7.
• Viroli, Maurizio (1997).For Love of Country: An Essay on Patriotism and Nationalism. Oxford University Press on Demand.ISBN 0-19-829358-5.
• Witherspoon, John (May 17, 1776)."The Dominion of Providence Over The Passions of Man". Princeton.
• Kornelia Kończal and A. Dirk Moses (ed.),"Patriotic History" and the (Re)Nationalization of Memory, in: Journal of Genocide Research, 24 (2), 2022.
• Sardoč, Mitja, ed. (2020).Handbook of Patriotism.Springer, Cham. pp. XVII, 970.doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54484-7.ISBN 978-3-319-54483-0.