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National loyalty involves a love of home and a preparedness to defend it; nationalism is a belligerent ideology, which uses national symbols in order to conscript the people to war.

— Roger Scruton England and the Need for Nations (2006)

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Patriotism

More quotes by Roger Scruton

In argument about moral problems, relativism is the first refuge of the scoundrel.

Modern Philosophy (1995)

When truth cannot make itself known in words, it will make itself known in deeds.

The core of common culture is religion. Tribes survive and flourish because they have gods, who fuse many wills into a single will, and demand and reward the sacrifices on which social life depends.

Modern Culture (2000)

The future of mankind, for the socialist, is simple: pull down the existing order and allow the future to emerge.

A Political Philosophy (2006)

Conservatism is itself a modernism, and in this lies the secret of its success.

A Political Philosophy (2006)

All Roger Scruton quotes →

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I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

Nathan Hale

It is not easy to see how the more extreme forms of nationalism can long survive when men have seen the Earth in its true perspective as a single small globe against the stars.

Arthur C. Clarke The Exploration of Space (1951)

Our country – In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right, and always successful, right or wrong.

Stephen Decatur

No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.

Barbara Ehrenreich

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Roger Scruton (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.