Patriotism Essay - 2

Liana DeVoe
Professor Lovett
Eng 111
Oct. 17th 2020
Patriotism
Graham Lawton once strongly stated, “Beliefs, more than anything else, are what make
us human.” (Lawton). One belief that some humans possess is patriotism which is the “feeling of
attachment and commitment to a country, nation, or political community” (Baumeister).
Someone who believes in patriotism would agree with at least one of the following attributes of
patriotism: love for what their country stands for, respect for the soldiers that protect their
country, and a sense of loyalty and allegiance to said country.
Loving what your country stands for is a major part of patriotism and it mainly involves
agreeing with the ideas that are implemented in your country's government. According to Andrea
Baumeister senior lecturer at the University of Sterling, “Greek and especially Roman antiquity
provide the roots for a policial patriotism that conceives of loyalty to the patria as loyalty to a
political conception of the republic” (Baumeister). This means that the idea that patriotism
consists of loyalty to the ideas that make up the foundation of your country has existed for
centuries. This can look different depending on what ideas make up your country's government
and what your country stands for. For example, in America most people would say that the
country stands for freedom. It is written into the Constitution of the United States that all citizens
be guaranteed certain rights or freedoms. This includes but is not limited to the freedom of
speech and religion. Not all countries guarantee or even allow some of the rights that America
does for its citizens so, many American citizens feel a sense of gratitude towards America for
providing protection of their rights and giving them freedoms and in turn they provide loyalty to
the country.
Another aspect of patriotism is respecting the soldiers that protect your country and
willing to make sacrifices for the good of said country. People who have a sense of patriotism
will love and support the troops that sacrifice their lives to protect the country as a whole as well
as the individual citizens who live within that country. If you love your country you will respect
the people who protect it. The people who have the most patriotism might even become soldiers
themselves. According to Niccolò Machiavelli, “To love the city is to be willing to sacrifice
one’s own good-including one’s life-for the protection of common liberty” (Baumeister).
Niccoló is stating that if someone loves their country enough and has enough patriotism they will
be willing to give up everything to protect their country.
The last attribute of patriotism is more based on emotion: the natural sense of loyalty and
allegiance to your country. Some people feel a sense of loyalty to their country because they
grew up there their whole lives and were always taught how great it was. Others move to a new
country and gain a sense of allegiance towards their new home that has given them new
opportunities. This relates to Johann Gottfried von Herder’s idea about patriotism which is that
“patriotism refers not to a political virtue but to a spiritual attachment to the nation”
(Baumeister). This means that people feel more connected to the other people in their country
and the culture related to the country rather than the political side of the country. This aspect of
patriotism is more based on feeling and emotion, which relates to Lawton’s idea about “the
feeling of rightness”, stating that people have an “unconscious reflection” of information about a
certain subject that causes someone to decide if an idea seems right or wrong (Lawton). This
means that from the beginning, before they are given any information about their country, people
form an opinion of whether or not their country is good based on a feeling. Some people might
love the things their country stands for and they might respect the troops but that does not
necessarily mean they feel any allegiance or loyalty towards their country, making this attribute
of patriotism the most important one.
Overall, beliefs are super important because they dictate all our actions and are part of
what makes us human. Patriotism is one belief that includes loving your country, respecting the
people who protect your country, and having a sense of loyalty towards said country. The belief
of patriotism is not the single most important belief, in fact it is far from it, but it is a good
example of a belief that could heavily affect your actions or other beliefs. Patriotism can affect
whether or not you choose to serve your country, your political affiliation, and can even affect
whether or not you continue to live in a certain country.

Work Cited
Baumeister, Andrea. "Patriotism." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 May. 2016.

school.eb.com/levels/high/article/patriotism/608902.
Lawton, Graham. “I believe: Your personal guidebook to reality.” New Scientist, 31
March 2015, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22630150-300-i-believe-your-
personal-guidebook-to-reality/.

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Liana DeVoe

Oct. 17th 2020

attachment and commitment to a country, nation, or political community” (Baumeister).

country, and a sense of loyalty and allegiance to said country.

be willing to give up everything to protect their country.

of patriotism the most important one.

whether or not you continue to live in a certain country.

Baumeister, Andrea. "Patriotism." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 May. 2016.

March 2015, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22630150-300-i-believe-your-

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