Patriotism: Our Most Contested Virtue (Steven B. Smith, Yale University)

Patriotism is a disposition as old as political life.  Yet patriotism, or love of country, has always had to contend with a number of different loyalties — family, sect, and clan. Prof. Steven Smith of Yale University seeks to reclaim patriotism from two recent extremes, both the nationalist right and the multi-culturalist left.  These extremes, he argues, pose the most significant challenges to restoring a proper love of country.