What is patriotism and why we should love our Motherland

Is there anything in common between healthy patriotism and uranopolitism?

By and large, the doctrine of Uranopolythesism is based on the need for believers to prefer the Heavenly Fatherland to the earthly one.

In its most extreme forms, uranopolitism boils down to the fact that since a Christian strives for the Kingdom of Heaven, he should not and does not even have the right to prefer his people and his native country to other peoples and states. At the same time, it is understood that this requirement is unconditional, covers all circumstances, and applies at all times.

Both moderate and extreme uranopolitism are based on the words of Jesus Christ, who forbade serving two Lords (Matthew 6:24), and His call to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). In addition, a strong argument in favor of uranopolitism is considered to be the warning of the Apostle James that “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8), as well as the direct indication of the Apostle Paul that believers are strangers and strangers on earth (Heb. .11:13). (see: Kingdom of God (Heavenly)).

What can you say to this? A Christian should really think about the Kingdom of God, and prefer it to all the kingdoms of this world. He should not serve “two gods” (see: Idolatry). However, this does not mean that living on earth, a person does not have the right to experience a special feeling for his people, his native Fatherland. We are talking mainly about something else here: about the danger and destructiveness of a person’s desire for earthly goods to the detriment of Heavenly ones. After all, the blessings of this world often serve as an obstacle for a person on the path of ascension to God; they are temporary in nature, but the desire for Heaven is the desire for eternal life in union with God and His saints, for unceasing joy and bliss.

Examples of caring for loved ones, for relatives, and finally for one’s people, are found repeatedly in the Holy Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church.

Since the Old Testament, God taught the people of Israel to treat each other as brothers. And this was due not only to the fact that they were all united by a common faith. Indeed, according to the law, special relationships bound people even within each of the twelve tribes, although they were all called to profess the same faith.

The Lord Jesus Christ showed in the parable of the prodigal son how difficult it is for a person to live when cut off from his roots, from his home. Sound patriotism precisely implies love for the Motherland as one’s home, perhaps understood more broadly.

Love for one's people, of course, should not be interpreted as dislike or, worse, hatred of other nations. In addition, patriotism should not be accompanied by a proud exaltation of any nation over another. Such exaltation can lead to nationalism or even Nazism. In this regard, the Apostle Paul made a completely clear statement, saying that for those who have put on Christ: “there is neither Greek nor Jew” (Col. 3:11).

The Orthodox Church canonized many soldiers who defended the Fatherland with weapons in their hands (of course, not for the fact of participation in hostilities as such). In addition, peoples also have their own patrons in Heaven, for example, angels. If God not only does not forbid, but also favors this or that angel to patronize this or that people, then why cannot a person, a Christian, serve this or that Fatherland (country, state, people)?

Just as love for one’s family, one’s close relatives does not exclude love for God and other people, so, apparently, healthy patriotism does not exclude love for God and representatives of non-native peoples. The question is the extent of understanding of patriotism and the extent of understanding of love.

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Multicomponent phenomenon

Patriotism is a word with roots in Greek. In the Greek language it sounded like "patris". It is from here that the modern word comes, hiding under it devotion, love for the Fatherland and native people. A patriot is considered to be one who believes in the spiritual prospects of his compatriots and is ready to serve public goals and interests. The word “patriotism” can be used in different ways in different situations. It implies the ability to care about the historical fate of one’s native lands and their interests. A person can be considered a patriot if he is ready for self-sacrifice in the name of places that are considered native to him.

A good definition of patriotism is loyalty to the Fatherland. At the same time, it is the ability to be proud of the achievements inherent in society, cultural progress and historical milestones. A patriot has compassion for his compatriots, perceives social vices negatively and makes efforts to eradicate them. At the same time, patriotism presupposes attachment to the place of residence, settlement and power, as well as respect for the past of these regions, for the traditions inherited from previous generations.

Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church:

II.3. Christian patriotism simultaneously manifests itself in relation to the nation as an ethnic community and as a community of citizens of the state. An Orthodox Christian is called to love his fatherland, which has a territorial dimension, and his blood brothers living throughout the world. Such love is one of the ways to fulfill God’s commandment to love one’s neighbor, which includes love for one’s family, fellow tribesmen and fellow citizens.

The patriotism of an Orthodox Christian must be effective. It is manifested in the defense of the fatherland from the enemy, work for the benefit of the fatherland, concern for the organization of people's life, including through participation in government affairs. A Christian is called upon to preserve and develop national culture and national identity. When a nation, civil or ethnic, is wholly or predominantly a mono-confessional Orthodox community, it can in some sense be perceived as a single community of faith - an Orthodox people.

P.4. At the same time, national feelings can become the cause of sinful phenomena, such as aggressive nationalism, xenophobia, national exclusivity, and interethnic hostility. In their extreme expression, these phenomena often lead to restrictions on the rights of individuals and peoples, wars and other manifestations of violence.

It is contrary to Orthodox ethics to divide peoples into better and worse, and to belittle any ethnic or civil nation. Moreover, we disagree with Orthodoxy with teachings that put the nation in the place of God or reduce faith to one of the aspects of national self-awareness.

By opposing such sinful phenomena, the Orthodox Church carries out the mission of reconciliation between the nations involved in hostility and their representatives. Thus, during interethnic conflicts, she does not take anyone’s side, except in cases of obvious aggression or injustice shown by one of the parties.

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“Patriotism is undoubtedly relevant. This is a feeling that makes the people and every person responsible for the life of the country. Without patriotism there is no such responsibility. If I don’t think about my people, then I have no home, no roots. Because a home is not only comfort, it is also responsibility for the order in it, it is responsibility for the children who live in this house. A person without patriotism, in fact, does not have his own country. And a “man of peace” is the same as a homeless person. Let us remember the Gospel parable of the prodigal son. The young man left home, and then returned, and his father forgave him and accepted him with love. Usually in this parable they pay attention to what the father did when he accepted the prodigal son. But we must not forget that the son, having wandered around the world, returned to his home, because it is impossible for a person to live without his foundations and roots. <…>It seems to me that the feeling of love for one’s own people is as natural for a person as the feeling of love for God. It can be distorted. And throughout its history, humanity has more than once distorted the feeling invested by God. But it is there. And here one more thing is very important. A feeling of patriotism must in no case be confused with a feeling of hostility towards other peoples. Patriotism in this sense is consonant with Orthodoxy. One of the most important commandments of Christianity: do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you. Or as it sounds in Orthodox doctrine in the words of Seraphim of Sarov: save yourself, acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved. Same thing with patriotism. Do not destroy others, but build yourself. Then others will treat you with respect. I think that today this is the main task of patriots: building our own country.” Patriarch Alexy II

For me, patriotism is not only love for the land where you were born, for the people in which you grew up and were raised. After all, as our history has shown well, a people can betray both the land and their own soul. Patriotism is, first of all, loyalty to the Divine plan for your land and your people. It is not a pity to lay down your soul for this, because thereby the truth of God is established on earth. But in order to understand this plan, you really need to love your people very much - but honestly, impartially; love and know your history, live by the values ​​that define the spirit of the people. Patriarch Kirill

“A man who loves his country for its power is always like an untrustworthy suitor, a man who loves a woman for her money.” Gilbert Keith Chesterton

“A thin citizen of an earthly fatherland and a heavenly one is unworthy.” Saint Philaret of Moscow

“Remember that the earthly Fatherland with its Church is the threshold of the heavenly Fatherland, therefore love it fervently and be ready to lay down your soul for it.” holy righteous John of Kronstadt

Active position: eighteenth century

Although the foundations of patriotism were laid in ancient times, as a politically and socially significant phenomenon familiar to modern people, this position was largely formed in the 20s of the eighteenth century. It was during this period that the rhetoric associated with politics among the British began to perceive patriotism as a common good. From the very beginning, the term was controversial, as it contrasted the common good with government and centralized power. In the second half of the same century, radical political figures, conservatives working in parliament, fought for the right to use the new ideology as the basis of their position. Patriot is a term that quickly acquired a pronounced political connotation, which, however, was just as vividly transformed in the shortest possible time. At the same time, the public understanding of the word was adjusted.

In the 74th year of this century, Johnson, one of those whose works were the foundation of the formation of the foundations of patriotism, criticized the political parties that used the new term. Particularly interesting is the programmatic conservatory article that appeared just this year. Johnson himself was a well-known publicist of the time.

Literature

1. Koltsova V.A., Sosnin V.A. Social and psychological problems of patriotism and features of its upbringing in modern Russian society // Psychological Journal. 2005. T. 26. No. 4. pp. 89–98.
2. Lebedev A.N., Bulygina O.A. Problem and methods of studying debt and debt behavior in domestic psychology // Current problems of social and economic psychology: methodology, theory, practice: Collection of scientific articles. Issue three. M.: Sputnik+, 2015. pp. 36–39.
3. Lebedev A.N., Gordyakova O.V. Psychology of patriotism and economic feasibility: to the problem of globalization and choice of strategy for social development // Economic psychology: past, present, future. Vol. 3. Materials of the Second International Scientific and Practical Conference, May 24–28, 2016 / Ed. A.N. Neverova, A.V. Latkova: In 2 hours. Saratov: Center for Petroleum Research of the SSC RAS; Bukva, 2016. Part 2, pp. 103–111. (A)
4. Lebedev A.N., Gordyakova O.V. Theoretical and methodological issues of studying patriotism as a social feeling and socially oriented behavior // www.soc-econom-psychology.ru. 2016. T. 1. No. 1. (b)
5. Lenin V.I. State and revolution. Petrograd: Life and Knowledge, 1918.
6. Lenin V.I. On the national pride of the Great Russians // Lenin V.I. Full composition of writings. Ed. 5th. T. 26. M.: Publishing House of Political Literature, 1973.
7. Tolstoy L.N. Patriotism or peace. — Patriotism or Peace? // Daily Chronicle. 03/17/1896. az.lib.ru/t/tolstoj_lew_nikolaewich/text_0750-1.shtml (02.25.2016).
8. Yurevich A.V. Psychological aspects of patriotism // Applied legal psychology. 2016. No. 1 (34). pp. 5–20.
9. Moscovici S., Zavalloni M. The group as a polarizer of attitudes // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1969. June. V. 12(2). P. 125–135.
10. Vinokur A., ​​Burnstein E. Effects of partially shared persuasive arguments on group induced shifts: A group problem-solving approach // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1974. 29: 305–315.

The research is carried out with the financial support of the Russian Humanitarian Foundation (grant No. 15-06-10406a “The influence of mass culture and advertising on the sense of patriotism of young Russian citizens”).

Source: Gordyakova O.V., Lebedev A.N. Feeling of patriotism and types of patriotic behavior of young citizens of Russia // Psychological and psychoanalytic studies. Yearbook 2017. M., 2022. pp. 307–327.

Why is patriotism needed?

Why is patriotism important? Experts believe that this is a natural mental state, which is expressed in the readiness to protect one’s own from someone else’s, to recognize it under a different mask. It’s hard to survive without patriotism, because every person must have core values ​​for the sake of which they can realistically overcome fear and even go to death. Only thanks to tremendous patriotism, the Soviet people were able to win the Second World War and stop the hordes of enemies at the cost of millions of lives.

A patriot is a person for whom the fate of the state always comes first. But such an attitude appears only when a person is confident that his country will protect him in difficult times and will help his family. Therefore, those who survive in poverty cannot be forced to be patriots; people must have something to be proud of and something specifically to defend: their well-being, home front, achievements.

Base: final formulation

The British had developed an understanding of patriotism and the essence of being a patriot by 1770. It was decided to formulate an interpretation of the term as a figure in the field of politics and journalism, devoting himself to democratic changes in the current system. Such a person fights against tyranny. Due to the context, those who sought to give independence to the colonies of the power were called patriots. In many ways, the formulation of the concept is realized through the sayings of Wilkes, who actively used references to love for his native land in his rhetorical sayings.

Modern understanding

Political scientists, scientists, and philosophers of our day propose to separate rhetoric and ideology. The first is a method of speech formation aimed at achieving a specific task. The second includes a fundamental set of aspects that can motivate a person to some action. Patriotic rhetoric was relevant during the revolution in France. This is clear from the fact that the key slogan of that time was: “The patronymic is in danger!”

In our country, according to researchers, patriotism was not a generally recognized and used term until the nineteenth century. At first, such words were used only by people interested in educational publications. The Decembrists regarded patriotism as an aspect of nationalist discourse. The elite, thriving at court, were believed to be betraying the identity of the people.

Education of patriotism

The development of patriotism has at all times been the main task of ideologists of any country. Events were developed with an emphasis on examples of heroism, songs were composed, and events of the past were corrected. The child had to grow up with the idea that his country is the best because it protects, provides a fun childhood, supports him in choosing a profession in his youth and protects him from adversity in adulthood.

Therefore, great importance is given to the study of symbolism, the legal system, and familiarity with the actions of outstanding people. But in a country where there is no return from the state, and the individual does not see what he receives in return for his willingness to sacrifice personal things, the problem of patriotism becomes especially acute. Sometimes there are attempts by those in power to grow it artificially.

Progress of understanding

The essence of patriotism was considered in his works by Hugh Cunningham. He analyzed in detail the change in the meaning of the word over the eighteenth century, while limiting himself only to the processes that took place in English polemics and rhetoric. In the 25th year of that century, the Whigs had an opposition - the Patriot Party, which subsequently attracted the attention of conservatives and liberals. The main idea of ​​the new association was the fight against corruption among ruling officials. Party members identified themselves as patriots, thereby demonstrating a desire for the common good and a desire to take care of society. This, they believed, made them the legitimate opposition.

At that moment, the public was not yet very clear what “patriotism” and “being a patriot” meant. What political activists understood by these terms was not of interest to everyone, since ordinary people had come to terms with the court henchmen who were in charge of parliamentary decisions. The opposition considered them a threat to the common people and sought to shift the focus to the ministries as more trustworthy. Bolingbroke became the author of a new ideology. His works were published in the 20-30s of that century. Among the particularly interesting ones is a letter addressed to the Prince of Wales about royal power and patriotism.

Patriotism - books

There are thousands of examples from the lives of heroes who showed true patriotism, not only in Soviet literature. Many Russian poets and prose writers wrote about such manifestations, and they were presented in epics. The most striking works dedicated to patriotism:

1. A. Fadeev.
   "Young guard" . A novel about the underground heroes of Krasnodon during the Great Patriotic War, more than one generation of Soviet children grew up with it.
2. "The Tale of Igor's Campaign"
   . An ancient legend telling about the defenders of their native land during times of hostile raids.
3. L. Tolstoy.
   "War and Peace" . Important historical episodes of the 19th century - the Patriotic War of 1812, with examples of the heroism of the main characters.
4. B. Field.
   "The Tale of a Real Man" . A novel about the legless pilot Maresyev, who managed to return to aviation to fight the Nazis again.