Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes
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- Create Date：2021-06-03 06:51:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Steven B. Smith
- ISBN：0300254040
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Summary
A rediscovery of patriotism as a virtue in line with the core values of democracy in an extremist age
“Like you perhaps， I still regard myself as an extremely patriotic person。 Which is why I so admired [this book]。 。 。 。 It explained my emotion to me， as it might yours to you。" —David Brooks， New York Times
“Smith superbly illuminates the distinctiveness of the American idea of patriotism and reminds us of how important patriotism is， and how essential to making America better。”—Leslie Lenkowsky， Wall Street Journal
The concept of patriotism has fallen on hard times。 What was once a value that united Americans has become so politicized by both the left and the right that it threatens to rip apart the social fabric。 On the right， patriotism has become synonymous with nationalism and an “us versus them” worldview， while on the left it is seen as an impediment to acknowledging important ethnic， religious， or racial identities and a threat to cosmopolitan globalism。
Steven B。 Smith reclaims patriotism from these extremist positions and advocates for a patriotism that is broad enough to balance loyalty to country against other loyalties。 Describing how it is a matter of both the head and the heart， Smith shows how patriotism can bring the country together around the highest ideals of equality and is a central and ennobling disposition that democratic societies cannot afford to do without。
“Like you perhaps， I still regard myself as an extremely patriotic person。 Which is why I so admired [this book]。 。 。 。 It explained my emotion to me， as it might yours to you。" —David Brooks， New York Times
“Smith superbly illuminates the distinctiveness of the American idea of patriotism and reminds us of how important patriotism is， and how essential to making America better。”—Leslie Lenkowsky， Wall Street Journal
The concept of patriotism has fallen on hard times。 What was once a value that united Americans has become so politicized by both the left and the right that it threatens to rip apart the social fabric。 On the right， patriotism has become synonymous with nationalism and an “us versus them” worldview， while on the left it is seen as an impediment to acknowledging important ethnic， religious， or racial identities and a threat to cosmopolitan globalism。
Steven B。 Smith reclaims patriotism from these extremist positions and advocates for a patriotism that is broad enough to balance loyalty to country against other loyalties。 Describing how it is a matter of both the head and the heart， Smith shows how patriotism can bring the country together around the highest ideals of equality and is a central and ennobling disposition that democratic societies cannot afford to do without。
Reviews
Steve Brown
，
When the author said， "As any reader of Sophocles' Antigone would immediately recognize。。。。" I knew I was in trouble and this book was over my head。 I kept reading， but quotes from the likes of Tolstoy telling me that， "Patriotism。。。is but a weapon for the attainment of aggression and mercenary aims。" made reading this feel like a school paper。 For academic types that may be exactly what they are hoping to get from this book and if so， you won't be disappointed。 The author does a fine job of pre When the author said， "As any reader of Sophocles' Antigone would immediately recognize。。。。" I knew I was in trouble and this book was over my head。 I kept reading， but quotes from the likes of Tolstoy telling me that， "Patriotism。。。is but a weapon for the attainment of aggression and mercenary aims。" made reading this feel like a school paper。 For academic types that may be exactly what they are hoping to get from this book and if so， you won't be disappointed。 The author does a fine job of presenting contrasting opinions on patriotism while trying to justly represent both democratic and republican points of view。 Likewise， he explains not only what patriotism is， but what it is not by comparing it to nationalism and cosmopolitanism。 In the end， I wasn't the right audience for this author。Note: I've downloaded a bunch of free， （mostly） random， pre-releases of books with the idea of expanding my range and helping authors get reviews。 #netgalley 。。。more
Alec Rogers
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More of a collection of essays than a unified book， but many interesting themes througout。
AJ
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17:52 04/19/21Kindle （while listening to audio at some points）Middlebury， VTI read this because Dry sent me a George Will article about it last night saying how pertinent it may be to my thesis。 Not only was it relevant but helped me get a better idea of how to explain the weaponization of American exceptionalism by the right and a similar phenomenon on the left。 All in all， it was interesting and very similar to my thesis。
Paul Womack
，
A very fine and challenging book。 If events of the day have persuaded you to one extreme or the other， this thoughtful， suggestive book that there is wisdom and patriotism to be found when “centered” in the American creed and its often ambiguous historical narrative。 The book offers suggestions for future reading and study， which makes it most helpful。 It affirms the role of patriotism and grounds the universalism which appeals to many in the experience of the particular。 For me， that insight wa A very fine and challenging book。 If events of the day have persuaded you to one extreme or the other， this thoughtful， suggestive book that there is wisdom and patriotism to be found when “centered” in the American creed and its often ambiguous historical narrative。 The book offers suggestions for future reading and study， which makes it most helpful。 It affirms the role of patriotism and grounds the universalism which appeals to many in the experience of the particular。 For me， that insight was generated by several of the interrogations I conducted during the Vietnam War， when the prisoners helped me grasp both their humanity and their patriotism; this helped me grasp my own humanity and desire to be loyal to my nation and thus helped me realize balance， paradox， and tension， and sometimes a protest to the ways the nation had wandered from its aspirational path， was an aspect of patriotism。 。。。more
Joel
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Just what the title says but told in a somewhat unexpected manner。 Lots of history， pre-history， current day poets and cautions on the right and left but a prayer for faith in the "creedal" nature of our society。 Just what the title says but told in a somewhat unexpected manner。 Lots of history， pre-history， current day poets and cautions on the right and left but a prayer for faith in the "creedal" nature of our society。 。。。more
Brandon Westlake
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Steven B。 Smith is a great writer （and lecturer- if you haven't seen his lectures from the MOOC， go watch them）。 I think he fairly criticizes the shortcomings of both the right and the left， showing where there can be an opening for a better way to think about patriotism。 The best author that I can compare Smith to， and that he actually references， is Michael Sandel。 There is a lot to think about here， and it probably will make you uncomfortable and a little uneasy。 So be it。 Steven B。 Smith is a great writer （and lecturer- if you haven't seen his lectures from the MOOC， go watch them）。 I think he fairly criticizes the shortcomings of both the right and the left， showing where there can be an opening for a better way to think about patriotism。 The best author that I can compare Smith to， and that he actually references， is Michael Sandel。 There is a lot to think about here， and it probably will make you uncomfortable and a little uneasy。 So be it。 。。。more
Katie
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