Patriotism: Insights from Israel By Eyal Lewin

Chapter 1

Defining Patriotism

The General Term

The essence of patriotism is the supremacy of the group over its individual members. It is one channel that society forms in order to justify the devotion of major private resources to collective goals. The common perception is that nations need patriotism no matter how democratic or antidemocratic they might be because lack of patriotism jeopardizes any ability to sustain social forms. Without patriotism, according to this mindset, societies are bound to fall apart (Ben-Amos & Bar-Tal, 2004; Schaar, 1981; Viroli, 1995).

One example of how the lack of patriotic affection led to a society’s failure to preserve itself occurred on the eve of the French Third Republic. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The French had fortified the Maginot Line and had mistakenly perceived it to be an impenetrable natural barrier against armored vehicles, but the alleged barrier was now circumvented by a flanking movement by the German army through the thickly wooded Ardennes