The answer to the question as to whether or not patriotism should be promoted by schools is not at all a simple one. For those who understand patriotism as something good (in a political or moral sense) the answer is, of course, affirmative, but for those who see it as something bad, the answer is, just the opposite, negative. The contemporary debates in political and moral philosophy among adherents of universalism and cosmopolitanism on the one hand, and the communitarianists on the other hand, offer different arguments for and against patriotism. However, if MacIntyre’s claim that patriotism is not only a virtue but also the foundation of morality (since we can understand and adopt moral rules only in the particular version in which they are endorsed by our community) is correct, then schools ought to cultivate patriotism. For, in this context, patriotism (understood as a moral duty, a duty to show special concern for one’s country and compatriots) is morally required. But if this claim is mistaken and patriotism is not morally required but only morally allowed, as Primoratz says, then schools are not obliged to cultivate patriotism although they may cultivate it. If we also take into consideration the fact that there are different concepts of patriotism, the question is not only if patriotism should be promoted by schools, but rather which kind of patriotism should or should not be cultivated in schools. It seems that patriotism understood in a very similar, if not identical, sense as nationalism (or as an irrational belief in the superiority of one’s own country over all others) should not be cultivated in schools, whereas patriotism without nationalism, that is, “constitutional patriotism” (Habermas), “republican patriotism” (Viroli) and “cosmopolitan patriotism” (Appiah) should be, or at least can be, permitted in schools.

Critical analysis.

I expect that this critical analysis will provide some new elements for the understanding of patriotic education and some problems connected with different kinds of patriotism.