The Ethics of Patriotism: A Debate

The Ethics of Patriotism presents a tightly focused, detailed, and comprehensive discussion of patriotism as an important philosophical issue; the text engages with the extensive literature on the subject, including the most recent contributions to the debate about the nature and moral credentials of love of, or loyalty to, one′s country and polity.

The unique approach taken within this book brings together the differing perspectives of three leading figures in the philosophical debate. John Kleinig argues that patriotism is a virtuous form of loyalty and self–understanding; Simon Keller argues that patriotism is a vicious form of self–deception; and Igor Primoratz makes the case for a restricted, ethical form of patriotism. Each of the three authors states his case, and then responds to the arguments of the others. Thus the three major positions engage with one another in a way that is both critical and constructive, and make a joint contribution towards a better understanding and more judicious evaluation of all the main types of patriotism.

The text is up–to–date, accessible, and vigorous in its presentation of the major views and arguments, presenting the only sustained, dedicated debate on patriotism and its ethical status.

John Kleinig is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, CUNY, and Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University, Canberra. He is the author of, amongst others, Valuing Life (1991), The Ethics of Policing (1996), and Ethics and Criminal Justice (2008).

Simon Keller is Professor of Philosophy at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He is the author of The Limits of Loyalty (2007), which won the 2009 American Philosophical Association Book Prize, and Partiality (2013).

Igor Primoratz is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University, Canberra. He is the author of Banquos Geist: Hegels Theorie der Strafe (1986), Justifying Legal Punishment (1989, 1997),Ethics and Sex (1999), and Terrorism: A Philosophical Investigation (2013). He is also editor of a number of books, including Patriotism (2002) and Patriotism: Philosophical and Political Perspectives (with Aleksandar Pavkovic, 2007).