Tocqueville did not doubt American patriotism. He thought it conspicuous and avid. Where patriotic sentiments touch the soldier, they might be mistaken for honor. Tocqueville understood two types of patriotism: and patriotisme instinctif patriotisme Both work upon the soldier. For Tocqueville, instinctive patriotism is an immediate and rèflèchi. natural feeling toward the place of It is a feeling of instinctive love is one’s birth. affection. “This mingled with the taste for ancient customs, with respect for ancestors, and the memory of the past; those who experience it cherish their country as one loves the paternal home.” Of relevance is the fact that instinctive patriotism allows for peoples have been found personification. “Some who have, in some way, personified the country and have caught sight of it in the prince. So they have transferred to him a part of the sentiments that compose patriotism; they have boasted about his triumphs and have been proud of his This has been the fate of the American power.” soldier—not for all, indeed hardly for any of his history, but it does, importantly, help to explain realities of the than material present. Andrew Bacevich notes: “More America’s matchless abundance or even the effusions of its pop culture, the of high-tech weaponry nation’s arsenal and the soldiers who employ that arsenal have come to signify who we are and what we stand this personification is not in concert with the actual distribution of honor in America is for.” That of no relevance to the instinctive patriotism which animates it. For instinctive patriotism is not mediated by rational thought. is itself a kind of religion; it does not reason, it believes; it “It feels; it acts.” Reflective patriotism emerges in America through democratic practices. Through participation in political life citizens come to see that their individual interests are bound up with those of the state. They also come to view the works of the state as the products of their own hands, for they are made democratically. In these ways democracy leads to a patriotic elision of
Tocqueville did not doubt American patriotism. He thought it conspicuous and avid. Where patriotic sentiments touch the soldier, they might be mistaken for honor. Tocqueville understood two types of patriotism: patriotisme instinctif and patriotisme rèflèchi. Both work upon the soldier. For Tocqueville, instinctive patriotism is an immediate and natural feeling toward the place of one’s birth. It is a feeling of affection. “This instinctive love is mingled with the taste for ancient customs, with respect for ancestors, and the memory of the past; those who experience it cherish their country as one loves the paternal home.” Of relevance is the fact that instinctive patriotism allows for personification. “Some peoples have been found who have, in some way, personified the country and have caught sight of it in the prince. So they have transferred to him a part of the sentiments that compose patriotism; they have boasted about his triumphs and have been proud of his power.” This has been the fate of the American soldier—not for all, indeed hardly for any of his history, but it does, importantly, help to explain realities of the present. Andrew Bacevich notes: “More than America’s matchless material abundance or even the effusions of its pop culture, the nation’s arsenal of high-tech weaponry and the soldiers who employ that arsenal have come to signify who we are and what we stand for.” That this personification is not in concert with the actual distribution of honor in America is of no relevance to the instinctive patriotism which animates it. For instinctive patriotism is not mediated by rational thought. “It is itself a kind of religion; it does not reason, it believes; it feels; it acts.” Reflective patriotism emerges in America through democratic practices. Through participation in political life citizens come to see that their individual interests are bound up with those of the state. They also come to view the works of the state as the products of their own hands, for they are made democratically. In these ways democracy leads to a patriotic elision of
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