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Zusatztext Viroli's account of the relationship of such key figures as Rousseau, Herder, and Mazzini to nationalist and liberal thought is importan. Viroli's immersion of Rousseau in the tradition of civic republicanism adds powerfully to a growing chorus in Rousseau's defence against charges of totalitarianism. - Dr J Stapleton. British Journal of Politics and International Relations. April 1999. Klappentext Nationalism and patriotism are two of the most powerful forces shaping world history. Though seen by many as two sides of the same coin, they can and must be distinguished. Reconstructing the historical meaning of the terms, Maurizio Viroli shows that the two concepts have been used for very different political and ideological goals. Over the centuries, the language of patriotism has been used to strengthen or invoke a generous and caring love of the political institutions and the way of life that sustain the common liberty of a people, whereas the language of nationalism was forged in late 18th century Europe to defend or reinforce the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic oneness, and homogeneity of a people. He brings to the surface the existence of an intellectual tradition in modern and early modern political thought which has been using the language of patriotism as a language of liberty and civic commitment and argues that it is to the intellectual tradition of republican patriotism that we ought to refer to find a powerful antidote to nationalism and a valuable source of civic responsibility for multicultural democratic societies. Zusammenfassung Nationalism and patriotism are two of the most powerful forces shaping world history. Though seen by many as two sides of the same coin, they have come to have widely different connotations. Nationalism is increasingly seen as destructive, and at the root of the world's bloodiest conflicts; patriotism seems something more benign, a political virtue. How are we to mark the distinction between these two phenomena? How can we rescue patriotism from the tainted grasp of nationalism? Reconstructing the historical the meaning of the terms, Maurizio Viroli shows how the two concepts have been used within specific cultural and ideological contexts. He reviews the political though of Italy, England, and Germany and shows how patriotism and nationalism have fundamentally different roots. Professor Viroli concludes that it is morally unacceptable, and indeed unnecessary, to be a nationalist to defend the values that nationalists hold dear. Patriotism, however, is a valuable source of civic responsibility....
