What is patriotism?

[fakename]

I think the CCC calls it a virtue and it consists of, a reasonable love of country. But what happens if the only love of country is irrational? Would that mean that the virtue of patriotism would be inapplicable? I don’t think so since all the virtues are connected so patriotism always exists in some form (even if the country doesn’t exist?) since if it didn’t then the other virtues couldn’t really exist either.

 

[markomalley]

I think the CCC calls it a virtue and it consists of, a reasonable love of country. But what happens if the only love of country is irrational? Would that mean that the virtue of patriotism would be inapplicable? I don’t think so since all the virtues are connected so patriotism always exists in some form (even if the country doesn’t exist?) since if it didn’t then the other virtues couldn’t really exist either.

Believe it or not, the words “patriot” “patriotic” or “patriotism” appear nowhere in the Catechism.

Pope Pius XII, in his 1958 Encyclical, Ad Apostolorum Principis, he gives the following as Church doctrine as regards Patriotism:

the Church exhorts and encourages Catholics to love their country with sincere and strong love, to give due obedience in accord with natural and positive divine law to those who hold public office, to give them active and ready assistance for the promotion of those undertakings by which their native land can in peace and order daily achieve greater prosperity and further true development.

Having said that, though, multiple popes have warned against excessive nationalism. And this nationalism can be confused with patriotism.

 

[Bohm_Bawerk]

Having said that, though, multiple popes have warned against excessive nationalism. And this nationalism can be confused with patriotism.

Excessive nationalism is what we sometimes call “jingoism”. It is a very horrible characteristic indeed; you do not need a Pope to tell you that. It should be common sense.

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk