Chapter 2

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.