Introduction
In 1789, Non-conformist minister Richard Price preached a sermon urging fellow Englishmen to welcome the stirring events in Paris on July 14th that year. Only John Bull’s patriotic prejudice, he said, prevented him from admitting that what was happening was a mirror of our own Glorious Revolution of 1689, and he enlarged on what a more generous love of country, a Christian duty, should look like.
THAT love of it [our country] which is our duty, does not imply any conviction of the superior value of it to other countries, or any particular preference of its laws and constitution of government. Were this implied, the love of their country would be the duty of only a very small part of mankind; for there are few countries that enjoy the advantage of laws and governments which deserve to be preferred. To found, therefore, this duty on such a preference, would be to found it on error and delusion.
It is, however, a common delusion. There is the same partiality in countries, to themselves, that there is in individuals.* All our attachments should be accompanied, as far as possible, with right opinions. We are too apt to confine wisdom and virtue within the circle of our own acquaintance and party. Our friends, our country, and in short every thing related to us, we are disposed to overvalue.* A wise man will guard himself against this delusion. He will study to think of all things as they are, and not suffer any partial* affections to blind his understanding.
* In an article for Household Words on ‘Insularities’ (January 19th, 1856), Dickens wrote: “It is more or less the habit of every country — more or less commendable in every case — to exalt itself and its institutions above every other country, and be vain-glorious. Out of the partialities thus engendered and maintained, there has arisen a great deal of patriotism, and a great deal of public spirit. On the other hand, it is of paramount importance to every nation that its boastfulness should not generate prejudice, conventionality, and a cherishing of unreasonable ways of acting and thinking, which have nothing in them deserving of respect, but are ridiculous or wrong.” Foreigners, too, could be guilty of it at least as much as the English: see Exit Lord Pudding.
* See also William Gladstone on An Exceptional Nation, talking about hysterical Russophobia in the 1870s.
* In the sense of ‘biased.’
Précis
In 1789, Richard Price argued that for the true patriot, it does not have to be axiomatic that England is far better than everywhere else. If patriotism was allowed only to those who lived in countries with really good governments, it would be a rare quality indeed. Unfortunately, most people overestimate everything connected with themselves, including their country. (58 / 60 words)
In 1789, Richard Price argued that for the true patriot, it does not have to be axiomatic that England is far better than everywhere else. If patriotism was allowed only to those who lived in countries with really good governments, it would be a rare quality indeed. Unfortunately, most people overestimate everything connected with themselves, including their country.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: despite, just, otherwise, ought, unless, until, whereas, whether.
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