An Inquiry into the Nature of Peace and the Terms of Its Perpetuation

CHAPTER II

Chapter 2291 wordsPublic domain

ON THE NATURE AND USES OF PATRIOTISM 31

The nature of Patriotism, 31.

--Is a spirit of Emulation, 33.

--Must seem moral, if only to a biased populace, 33.

--The common man is sufficiently patriotic but is hampered with a sense of right and honest dealing, 38.

--Patriotism is at cross purposes with modern life, 38.

--Is an hereditary trait? 41.

--Variety of racial stocks in Europe, 43.

--Patriotism a ubiquitous trait, 43.

--Patriotism disserviceable, yet men hold to it, 46.

--Cultural evolution of Europeans, 48.

--Growth of a sense of group solidarity, 49.

--Material interests of group falling into abeyance as class divisions have grown up, until prestige remains virtually the sole community interest, 51.

--Based upon warlike prowess, physical magnitude and pecuniary traffic of country, 54.

--Interests of the master class are at cross purposes with the fortunes of the common man, 57.

--Value of superiors is a "prestige value," 57.

--The material benefits which this ruling class contribute are: defense against aggression, and promotion of the community's material gain, 60.

--The common defense is a remedy for evils due to the patriotic spirit, 61.

--The common defense the usual blind behind which events are put in train for eventual hostilities, 62.

--All the nations of warring Europe convinced that they are fighting a defensive war, 62.

--Which usually takes the form of a defense of the National Honour, 63.

--Material welfare is of interest to the Dynastic statesman only as it conduces to political success, 64.

--The policy of national economic self-sufficiency, 67.

--The chief material use of patriotism is its use to a limited number of persons in their quest of private gain, 67.

--And has the effect of dividing the nations on lines of rivalry, 76.