What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?

Nationalism, ideology based on the premise that the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests.

Patriotism, feeling of attachment and commitment to a country, nation, or political community. Patriotism (love of country) and nationalism (loyalty to one’s nation) are often taken to be synonymous, yet patriotism has its origins some 2,000 years prior to the rise of nationalism in the 19th century.

Above: Brittanica

Both are social constructs, derived from political needs to create a common ideological power base, they both exist to inform, to judge and assert authority upon the masses. Between those who are, and not patriotic or nationalistic... a division.

We drink the same water, eat from the same earth, breath the same air, walk beneath the same blue sky, dream under the same starry night, no matter the color of our skin, heritage, politics, wealth, religion, or biases, we are one and the same; human.

Saunders Lewis, a Welshman playwright said about patriotism’ a generous spirit of love for civilization and tradition and the best things of mankind’

Jan Morris said of Nationalism’ narrow and offensive chauvinism, based on baloney’

Cant disagree with either!

There you go again with the "pride" thing. What are you proud of? Yosemite? Why does a piece of colored cloth elicit tears?

Enlighten us, please.

A person who loves his country has no need to trumpet it to the world and announce it at every corner. A decent and normal-minded person has no need for pigeonholing and belonging to different -isms.

I would tend to disagree, I think it depends on the person whether they feel like expressing vocally the love and pride that they have for their country. I personally don't care how a person expresses their admiration for their country, some are loud about it, some are quiet about it, doesn't matter the beautiful thing is, the freedom you have in your country that you can express it any way you feel. If people don't want to hear it, they can walk somewhere else.

Rising for the anthem, honoring the flag, and similar expressions of respect for state and country are just another form of worship and expressions of devotion to something elusive.

Again, that depends on the person and how they perceive their nation's history and the flag as well as the anthem associated with it.

I understand that the average intellectually able person wants no part of this totalitarian act. Usually these totalitarian acts are confused with patriotism or nationalism. But with the blind and the deaf it is impossible to discuss.

There are some that might feel as you do and others where the flag means so much to them.

A person who loves his country has no need to trumpet it to the world and announce it at every corner. A decent and normal-minded person has no need for pigeonholing and belonging to different -isms.

Rising for the anthem, honoring the flag, and similar expressions of respect for state and country are just another form of worship and expressions of devotion to something elusive. I understand that the average intellectually able person wants no part of this totalitarian act. Usually these totalitarian acts are confused with patriotism or nationalism. But with the blind and the deaf it is impossible to discuss.

One is more the last resort of a scoundrel

The other is the first resort of a fascist.

Love of one's country is mentioned a lot, and so do we need to make a distinction between country and nation? The word "country" seems more personal - my house, my street, my town, the places my family and friends live - in my case it's a weird shaped area covering most of Scotland, the north of England, and some prefectures in Japan. A "nation" seems to be something created by others and, for practical purposes, a place whose rules I'm bound to follow. And so am I a patriot if I declare my love for Osaka above my love for Aberdeen? I suspect I wouldn't be considered as such, and so my definition of patriot is someone who loves their nation and that a nationalist is one who builds that nation. I'm not a great fan of either.

Both are -isms, which means that they are both beliefs or ideologies. Neither is a set of actions per se, but both can be used to justify or promote particular acts or courses of action.

“Patriot,” from Latin pater, or father. “National,” from Latin natus, or birth.

Thus one is belief in the land of one’s father (ancestors); the other is belief in the land of one’s birth. Not a terribly sharp distinction, is it?

In modern political parlance, as typically used by a politician, the two words are distinguished in this manner:

Patriotism: when people act on love of country in a way that promotes my political agenda.

Nationalism: when people act on love of country in a way that runs counter to my political agenda.

Patriotism is more of a feeling, whereas nationalism is more about the politics. The latter might also be a bit stronger than the former.

Not as much difference as people like to think. Patriotism is much more than love of one's culture and country. Only countries that are at war, talking about war or preparing for war call citizens patriots (or traitors). You don't hear about patriots in any country except in reference to a war. For most countries it's a historical reference. The US is at constant war-footing, hence the common use of the word "patriot." Healthy and peaceful countries do not commonly refer to fellow citizens as patriots.

Patriotism is love for one's country.

Nationalism is hatred for others.

Exactly!

Right on the money!

Upon reflection, I think the better question is:

What precisely do you have deep pride about? Let us see a listing of these things, bass4funk. Naturally, your contribution to these things of pride should be included.

It can also mean deep pride in one's nation...

Deep pride? What did these people (and you?) ever do to pat yourself on the back and have have "deep pride" in the entire country?

Which has many tenents of Nationalism in certain ways, being unified as one as the US was on 9/11 speaks to the very essence of what true Patriotism is

No, that was nationalism. You can tell, because afterwards, the US went out and murdered tens of thousands of innocent civilians in another country.

Remember, patriotism is love for your own country, nationalism is hatred for others. America hated Afghanistan, then they hated Iraq, and this hatred led to them invading and murdering tens of thousands of innocents.

That doesn't show love for your own country. That's not patriotism.

Take away is not to be caught up in fallacious arguments in everyday discussion. Logical fallacies are real headache producers. Temptation leads us to going down a rabbit hole to believe that an idea from someone from a particular origin, identity, or social class, is automatically somehow virtuous or lacks virtue, and it takes considerable effort to avoid it.

Political discourse is the real context here.

Some want to reduce political discourse to a simple label-making exercise. Convenient, but not necessarily truthful or even desirable.

Take Nationalism. We see it every day: Mr. A just said Blank. Blank has been attributed to a Nationalist viewpoint. My Group uses its labelmaker to associate Nationalism with several '__isms that We don't like, so We can now label Mr. A and all of his ideas as extreme, arrogant and dangerous.

But remember Dr. Goldmann: Nationalism at its core means being a nation conveying a right to statehood, and the interests and values of one's nation to take priority over all other interests and values.

Next step will be key: Does it followers use it as a principle to act to universally advance and defend a national identity and independence AND allow compromise with competing claims and balance with competing powers? OR do they use it as a bludgeon to act solely to advance and defend the one nation's interest against all competitiors and their foreign ideas? Is it grounded in reality and fact, or on false political abstraction?

Historian John B. Thompson looked at Napoleon and his brand of Nationalism, and how Napoleon used the term, "ideologue," to refer to those trusting to dangerous or revolutionary ideas that de facto could not be trusted. In his decline, Napoleon’s attacked critical ideologues to mean virtually all kinds of religious and philosophical thought that he simply disagreed with, using his labelmaker to justify silencing his opponents and sustaining his failed empire.

Is that where we want to take this? Use a labelmaker to substitute clichés for actual critical thought? Convenience versus an honest and open examination of worldviews and their valuable critiques?

Nationalism

identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

It can also mean deep pride in one's nation and feel unity with its people, culture and history, and traditions. The negative connotation depends on how the person perceives the meaning. Being a Nationalist doesn't mean by any means that a person is a racist, in thinking so is extremely ignorant.

Patriotism

love for or devotion to one's country

Which has many tenents of Nationalism in certain ways, being unified as one as the US was on 9/11 speaks to the very essence of what true Patriotism is and whether you're quiet or vocal subtle or flashy about it doesn't matter, each person has the absolute right to express their Patriotism any which way they see fit.

Patriots consider their society and need not say a word or display anything. Ethnocentric nationalists only wrap themselves in a colored cloth without any deep thought.

Nationalists have lower IQs than patriots?

Based on what research?

Patriotism favors only one, the own country, but is slightly less strong than nationalism in that. Nationalism differs and favors first of course the own nation, economy, culture etc. but then in addition also a more generalized and global policy that all other nations also better favor their nation and their culture. So to say, not everyone or everything mixed and the same in all countries, but everyone or everything preferably there, where it stems from or originally belongs to. There’s of course surely more about it and the definitions also vary a lot depending on the intentions.

Excellent point agreed.

A patriot highlights the failings and vulnerabilities of their nation so they can be fixed. A nationalist covers them up or ignores them.

Patriotism favors only one, the own country, but is slightly less strong than nationalism in that. Nationalism differs and favors first of course the own nation, economy, culture etc. but then in addition also a more generalized and global policy that all other nations also better favor their nation and their culture. So to say, not everyone or everything mixed and the same in all countries, but everyone or everything preferably there, where it stems from or originally belongs to. There’s of course surely more about it and the definitions also vary a lot depending on the intentions.

I think Japanese people can be a good example to show the difference between nationalism and patriotism. Most of them tend to obsessed with a desire to share ethnic aspect with others such as looking. On the other hand, lots of them do not have any interest in national affairs and politics, which shows that Japanese do not have an affection toward the country.

The spelling. Both have the same meaning drr we pending on whether or not you are a patriot or nationalist

@jimizu: Your lady humor always makes me laugh. You are like my wonderful wife.

Nationalists have lower IQs than patriots?

Patriotism is love for one's country.

Nationalism is hatred for others.

Exactly!

Patriotism is love for one's country.

Nationalism is hatred for others.

From an International Relations standpoint, my favorite definition of Nationalism comes from the work of Professor Kjell Goldmann (date and attribution information unavailable). He describes Nationalism as a political principle, doctrine or programme to the effect that the fact of being a "nation" implies political rights -most basically, a right to independent statehood - but also a right to let the "interests and values [of one's nation] take priority over all other interests and vaules. Professor Goldmann distinguishes nationalism as a universal principle and as a particularist objective - between advancing the defence of national identity, independence and maybe influence as a universal principle, versus merely on behalf of one's own nation. The former allows compromises between competing claims and for balances between competing powers. The latter is an ideology of chosenness in the moderate case and imperialism in the radical case.

Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Christian Bracho in Nationalism (July 2011) cautioned us that such definitions are always rooted in the nation, to which most scholars agree emerged during the transition to the modern industrial age, supplanting monarchies and other kinds of prior communities and groups based on kinship or tribal ties. "Because these attachments are imagined by individuals and groups of individuals, neither nations nor the identities attached to them can be understood as essentialized, stable, or static. Instead, nations today are thought to be imagined, constructed, and negotiated. Nationalism exists in these moments of imagination and construction of the nation."

For Patriotism, Professor Nenad Miscevic, in his article of the same name, (November 2019, ) first provides us with the dictionary definition (love for or devotion to one’s country), but then cites George Orwell in his 1945 book Notes on Nationalism, that “patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power.” He contrasts attachment to one’s country (patriotism) versus attachment to one’s people and its traditions (nationalism), and says that, together, they are often taken as the defining features of patriotism. He acknowledges, though, that the actual use of the term in political discourse is more fluid and much less regimented.

Glad you asked.

Nationalism

identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

Patriotism

 love for or devotion to one's country

So it seems that a negativity can be attached to Nationalism as it includes the detriment of another nation in its list of virtues.

Political nationalism is perhaps another thing altogether, as it is used to gain independence or form an identity or reconstruct a conquered society.