The Right to Dissent and the Meaning of Patriotism

Alexis de Tocqueville referred to these types of patriotism as “instinctive” and “reflective” patriotism. The juxtaposition resembles the difference between ethnic and civic nationalism, between a primeval loyalty to the nation, “unadulterated” by any values on which that nation might have been founded, and a loyalty to that community’s specific ideals.2 As such, the dichotomy perfectly describes imperialist and anti-imperialist disagreements about patriotism. The imperialists enlisted de Tocqueville’s instinctive patriotism and asked for their compatriots’ support because the nation was at war and national unity and determination were allegedly required to win.3 Dissent was defined as “unpatriotic” because it undermined unity. The anti-imperialists, by contrast, relied on a “reflective” patriotism, defining their loyalty to the United States in terms of its democratic ideals. This definition was essential in order for the critics to justify dissent itself as a patriotic endeavor. This subdebate on patriotism and the right to dissent once again captured the emphases on “nation” and “democracy.”