In Defence of patriotism - By Samuel “The People’s Poet” Mack-Poole
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” – James Boswell.
“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai Stevenson.
April the 23rd. Does that date mean anything to you? Or, my dear philosophers, is it just another day? For your information, just to keep you in the know, it is Saint George’s day. This, for me, is a day of vital significance; it is one I will celebrate with vigour. I will aim to explain why in this piece of philosophy. Whilst in conversation with Mark Tannett and Eliza Verethilo (but not at the same time), both members of The Philosophy Takeaway were quite hostile to patriotism. So, let’s define our terms: patriotism is defined as, “devoted love, support, and defence of one's country; national loyalty.”
As far as I can tell, I see nothing objectionable with the definition given. That is to say, in my subjective judgement, it is not about superiority or hatred. A lot of people dislike patriotism --and I used to as well – but having lived and worked in another country for an academic year, I do have to say that I missed old Blighty.
Now, that definition tells us what patriotism is. It is my role, however, to tell you what it isn’t. Patriotism isn’t jingoism. It isn’t about favouring an aggressive foreign policy, or war. It isn’t about superiority. Quite simply, patriotism has bad name in England, and the UK, due to the fact we as a society have allowed the far-right to hijack the term for their sinister ends. I am a socialist and I am patriotic. Can socialists not be patriots? It’s precisely because I love England that I want to make it a better, fairer place. If you don’t love your cause, then you have no motivation.
As Lloyd Duddridge, the chair of The Philosophy Takeaway said, “If you are going to live, then why wouldn’t you want to try to be great?” I feel this quote can be extended beyond the individual, into something more collective. If you want to be great, shouldn’t it entail that your environment is great, too?
Fichte, a German philosopher (1762--1814), stands out amongst philosophers for his Address to the German Nation, in which he wrote:
“The noble-minded man’s belief in the eternal continuance of his influence even on this earth is thus founded on the hope of the eternal continuance of the people from which he has developed.”
I think his logic quite brilliant, as it is simple and true. If you’re an atheist, the material is all there is. As such, if we want to have a legacy, it is through our actions that we will be remembered. Our acts are very important as they will have consequences for the future. However, if a future generation decides that your life has no value, you will be forgotten like a deleted blurry photo on a mobile phone. I find this idea abhorrent. Imagine it – a descendant of yours, who owes his or her very existence to you, disregarding your thoughts and values without comprehending the gravity of such a decision.
For me, being patriotic is about celebrating achievements. Not all achievements are universal. There are achievements which are unique to England – Shakespeare’s beautiful writing shines out very brightly amongst a myriad of other gems in the English literary canon. In fact, we are an extremely literate nation -- do you think every country has so many citizens who carry books with them on their daily commutes? You probably think that’s universal, but it’s not. I can’t say it’s a purely English phenomenon, but I can say that I am not only happy, but proud that we have a nation in which literature is celebrated.
Aside from the world of literature, England has given a tremendous amount to the world in the sphere of science. Whether it is Dirac’s quantum physics, Hawking’s theory on black holes, or Newton’s laws of motion, we should accept that something has prevailed within English culture that allowed science to flourish. And what of England’s gifts to philosophy? They are abundant, too.
Bertrand Russell, John Locke, Simon Blackburn, GK Chesterton, and Oscar Wilde (who wrote a philosophical piece on aesthetics) have all given so much to the field. Now, I don’t think they’re any better because they’re English; but I’m happy to have been born into a nation where philosophy and toleration of ideas are celebrated. After all, where did both Marx and Wittgenstein move to, so as to escape tyranny of thought? And which country stood against the Nazi juggernaut, by herself, alone for an entire year, in defence of those values?
For me, the values are embedded in the country, the society we live in. If you like the values, then you like the country. If you don’t like the values, then you don’t like the country.
On a more personal note (and why shouldn’t the philosophical be personal), I have a bond with the land in England. I have been raised in my mother country, and taken to the beautiful Abbey ruins by my grandfather and father. The beauty of those woods is indescribable. They represent a very happy place for me. I honour my grandfather for taking me there. Since his death, I walk around there with my daughter, and I hope she will do the same with her children, an unbroken chain at the adulation of nature. For me, those woods embody the natural beauty of England. Kent really is very beautiful. There’s something, dare I say it, spiritual to my love for those woods.
There’s something truly romantic, truly Blakian about patriotism. You could be born and raised anywhere. But you weren’t, were you? You were born and raised somewhere -- and if you like the values, if you like the culture, and you like the land, if you like the scientific endeavour, and the respect for learning, why can you not say that you like the country?
England (as long as you’re English), whether you like it or not, is your mother. I accept that not all children grow up to love their mothers, but you are more at peace if you do. I don’t think it’s the best country in the world -- that’s a naïve statement to make -- because according to the OECD index, it’s not. Nevertheless, you can celebrate the good things about your country of origin and try to change the bad.
Samuel “The People’s Poet” Mack-Poole
The Philosophy Takeaway Issue 47 'Open Topic'
