Opinion

Is Patriotism Worth Preserving?

1/14/2022|Updated: 1/14/2022

Commentary

Mention the term “patriot” or “patriotism” on a university campus or in educated circles and you are likely to hear Samuel Johnson’s barb that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Or maybe you will hear E.M. Forster’s comment that if he had to betray either his country or his friend, he hoped he would have the guts to betray his country.

Steven B. Smith

Author

Steven B. Smith is the Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He has written or edited books on Hegel, Spinoza, Lincoln, Leo Strauss, and Isaiah Berlin. His most recent book “Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes” was published by Yale University Press earlier this year. He is currently working on a book titled “Why Lincoln Matters.”