Citizenship, Patriotism, and Liberal Morality

Abstract

This chapter examines the idea of using citizenship as a justification and motivation for patriotism, and the issue of whether a plausible liberal view of patriotism implies that citizens have a special moral duty to be patriotic. It argues that a liberal moral foundation cannot vitiate the immoral, nationalistic, discriminatory, and xenophobic elements associated with patriotism. Any efforts to defend a view of patriotism that is morally impartial, and at the same time, nationalistic, would be unsatisfactory. It offers a normative view regarding what a liberal moral notion of patriotism ought to be. This view is non-nationalistic, in that it does not require legal citizenship or national origin. A plausible view of patriotism is best justified on impartial moral grounds and motivated by universalizable moral principles that are not necessarily connected to citizenship and the particularity of a country. Some might question the plausibility of this view because it does not match what many people call patriotism, which has a conceptual link to one’s country of origin or citizenship. The commonplace view of patriotism that is necessarily connected to citizenship is often used to engender blind and mindless loyalty, prevent the constructive participation in political affairs, and the critical and rational examination of policies. This common view is precisely what this paper questions with the alternative normative view.