Unusual approach. How does patriotism manifest itself?

Federal Agency for Education

State educational institution

higher professional education

NIZHNY NOVGOROD STATE LINGUISTIC UNIVERSITY NAMED AFTER ON THE. DOBROLUBOVA

Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Theory of Social Communication

Philosophy

Patriotism: essence, structure, functioning (socio-philosophical analysis)

COMPLETED:

Tikhanovich K.V.

group 202team FAYA

CHECKED:

professor of the department

philosophy, sociology

and theories of social

communications

Dorozhkin A.M.

Nizhny Novgorod

Introduction

Chapter 1. Patriotism as a subject of scientific analysis

1.1 Definition of the concept of “patriotism”

1.2 Motherland and Fatherland: sensual and rational in the mind of a patriot

1.3 Structure of patriotism

Chapter 2. Patriotism as a spiritual phenomenon of modern society

1 Functions of patriotism

2 Types of patriotism

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

The problem of patriotism is one of the most pressing in the sphere of spiritual and moral life of modern society. It was considered in the works of representatives of world and domestic philosophy - Plato, Hegel, M. Lomonosov, P. Chaadaev, F. Tyutchev, N. Chernyshevsky, V. Lenin and others. Researchers of the Soviet period of our science made a significant contribution to the study of this problem. N. Gubanov, V. Makarov, Y. Deryugin, T. Belyaev, Y. Petrosyan, G. Kochkalda conducted research on the nature of patriotism, the relationship between everyday and theoretical levels in it, and the relationship with various forms of social consciousness.

In the post-Soviet period, the consciousness of the majority of Russians was not able to adequately perceive the socio-economic and spiritual-political changes that had taken place in our country; the spiritual principles on which they grew up did not contribute to adaptation to new conditions. At the same time, interest in patriotic issues did not wane: attitudes towards patriotism in different social groups ranged from complete rejection to unconditional support. Despite the fact that attention was paid to preserving everything valuable that Russian patriotism possessed, last decades concept Motherland,traditionally significant for Russians, has lost its essential content.

Today Russia is rapidly becoming involved in the process of globalization. The influence of this phenomenon extends to all spheres of the spiritual life of society, including patriotism. Preference is given to “universal human values”, which are often backed by the interests of specific states and social strata, not only do not take into account the interests of other countries, peoples and social groups, but often run counter to them. The process of globalization is objective, but it must be carried out taking into account the interests of all participants international relations. Moreover, only with a harmonious combination of interests and values ​​of all subjects of the world community will humanity be able to solve the problems facing it complex tasks. And true patriotism is called upon to play the most active and creative role in this process.

Besides, in modern Russia Nationalist and racist movements became widespread. Most of them widely use patriotic terminology and thereby attract an immature part of citizens into their ranks. Nationalism is becoming an ideology not only of marginal groups, but also of the leadership of a number of regions of Russia. In these conditions, the problem of clarifying the general and special in ideological directions, national self-identification in accordance with the state understanding of patriotism is becoming increasingly acute.

So, significant changes in the public life of the post-Soviet period, the process of globalization, the activation of separatist and nationalist movements influence the essential characteristics of the phenomenon of patriotism as a philosophical concept and as a spiritual component of modern society, thereby determining relevance abstract topics.

As objectwork advocates patriotism.

Subjectis the content of patriotism as a social and philosophical concept.

Targetof this essay - to conduct a socio-philosophical analysis of patriotism.

In accordance with the goal tasksthe abstract are:

analyze the concept of “patriotism”;

study the structure of patriotism;

identify the features of the functioning of patriotism;

characterize the types of patriotism depending on their carriers.

Chapter 1. Patriotism as a scientific subject analysis

.1 Definition of the concept of “patriotism”

The term "patriot" became widespread only in the 18th century, especially during the French Revolution. Nevertheless, the ideas of patriotism already occupied the thinkers of antiquity, who paid close attention to them. In particular, Plato said: “And in war, and in court, and everywhere, we must do what the Fatherland orders.”

In our country, the topic of love for the Motherland has always been a topical one. The term “patriot” also came into use in Russia in the 18th century. P.P. Shafirov, in his work dedicated to the Northern War, uses it with the meaning “son of the Fatherland.” He called himself a patriot in the same sense as “chick of Petrov’s nest” F.I. Soimonov. A.V. Suvorov used the term “patriot” in the same meaning. N.M. wrote, argued and tried to understand this phenomenon about patriotism. Karamzin, A.S. Pushkin, V.G. Belinsky, A.S. Khomyakov, N.A. Dobrolyubov, F.M. Dostoevsky, V.S. Soloviev, G.V. Plekhanov, N.A. Berdyaev.

The modern understanding of patriotism is given in the Philosophical Encyclopedia: "Patriotism -(from Greek - compatriot, fatherland) - love for the fatherland, devotion to it, the desire to serve its interests with one’s actions.” The Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary defines this phenomenon in almost the same way.

The main parameter of patriotism is the feeling love forto his To the Fatherland (Motherland),manifested in activities,aimed at realizing this feeling.

Most often, the feeling of love in a philosophical understanding is defined as accepting something as it is, experiencing its absolute value. The appearance of this feeling does not require any external reasons. This feeling is not pragmatic, but cannot be perceived as a “pure” emotion. Love represents a certain level of holistic perception of both the internal and external existence of a person.

Secondthe form of love finds its manifestation in the egoism of those members of society who put their personal, often overly mercantile interests, at the head of the system of relations between the individual, society and the state. Unfortunately, the principle: “Let the Motherland give me something first, and then we’ll see if I should love it” is very common today.

Love for the Motherland in a certain way encroaches on the freedom of individuality. Patriotism presupposes greater concern for the good of one’s country and one’s people than one’s own; it requires work, patience and even self-sacrifice. Figuratively speaking, patriotism is a statement existence of his Fatherland. On the other hand, the feeling of love also combines the real perception of its object. A patriot is not obliged to love the shortcomings of his Motherland. On the contrary, he must eradicate them by all means available to him. This must be done without criticism and hysteria, which, unfortunately, are observed quite often in Russian society today. Love for the Motherland is the desire to accept it as it is and try to help it become even better.

Therefore, it seems possible to state the presence of three main components of the feeling of love for the Motherland. The first one is defined as care,understood as contributing to the successful development of one’s Fatherland by all means at the patriot’s disposal. The second component is responsibility,by which is meant the ability of a patriot to correctly respond to the needs of his Motherland, to feel them as his own and, thereby, to correctly coordinate public and personal interests. The third speaker respect,which is perceived as the ability to see one’s Fatherland as it really is, with all its advantages and disadvantages.

1.2 Motherland and Fatherland: sensual and rational in the mind of a patriot

The feeling of love implies the presence of an object towards which it is directed. It is clear that in this case such an object is the Motherland (Fatherland).

Quite often the concepts MotherlandAnd Fatherlandare considered as a synonymous pair, but in socio-philosophical terms there are quite significant differences between them.

The homeland, as a rule, is understood as a sensually perceived immediate environment or as a place of birth, that is, this concept is characterized by local ethnic characteristics. Presumably, the Motherland as an object is characteristic of the everyday psychological level of patriotic consciousness. Apparently, this is precisely the reason why in the minds of many people the concept of the Motherland seems to be split into two. There is a phenomenon in the patriotic consciousness "small motherland"representing the local place of birth and especially the upbringing of the individual, as well as the perception "Big Motherland"understood as the territory of the ethnic and cultural prevalence of the social group with which a person identifies himself.

When analyzing the phenomenon of the Fatherland, the emphasis is on socio-political characteristics. As a rule, the concept of “Fatherland” correlates with the concept of the state in the broadest sense of the word. Moreover, many citizens perceive these concepts as identical. It is from this that the nature of presenting claims regarding the deterioration of economic and social living conditions stems not from specific ruling circles, but from the Fatherland as a whole. The socio-political content of this concept is also evidenced by the fact that in Soviet times it was always talked about socialist Fatherlandand very rarely socialist Motherland.

In addition, the concepts of Motherland and Fatherland are characterized by gender parameters. The Motherland has always been correlated with the image of a mother who gives birth and raises, and the Fatherland with a father who not only socializes the individual, but also demands that she fulfill her duty. In other words, the Motherland can be perceived as the giver, and the Fatherland as the taker.

If we talk about individual consciousness, then it seems natural to correlate the concept Motherlandwith social quality "patriot",and the concept Fatherland - withsocial quality "citizen".

Thus, the patriotic consciousness of an individual is characterized by the dominance of sensual accents based on a rational principle.

In addition, it should be noted that the feeling of love for the Motherland acquires value only when it finds its practical, active embodiment. And although social activity is very diverse, patriotic activity is quite universal in nature: any type of human labor can be considered patriotic if it bears the connotation of a positive attitude towards one’s Fatherland.

1.3 Structure of patriotism

Patriotism is a complex phenomenon. The vast majority of researchers identify three elements in the structure of patriotism: patriotic consciousness,patriotic activityand patriotic relationship.Yu. Trifonov adds a fourth component to them - patriotic organization.

Patriotic consciousnessforms a special form of social consciousness, combining political, social, legal, religious, historical, and moral components.

Political The system of society, through the influence of power structures, leaves a special significant imprint on the consciousness of citizens. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to distinguish State,represented by the power elite, and Fatherland,which is much broader than its political component. A true patriot does not blame his homeland for the fact that in an era of change it is not easy to live in his native land. It is during such periods that the strength of patriotic feelings is tested. Just as you cannot blame your mother for being tormented by illness, so you cannot blame your Motherland for the fact that the corrupt and greedy rule. political elites. The disease must be treated, and traitors must be fought.

Social element in patriotic consciousness is determined by the class relations existing in society and the corresponding criteria for their evaluation.

Right influences the formation and functioning of patriotic consciousness through legal norms, enshrined primarily in the Constitution of the state.

The role can be assessed very ambiguously religion in the formation of patriotic consciousness. Its complexity is determined by the presence in society of representatives of various faiths, as well as convinced atheists. Such spiritual heterogeneity naturally implies different understanding patriotism.

Of great importance for the formation of patriotic consciousness is story Fatherland. Factual material reflecting the past of our country contains knowledge that contributes to the formation of patriotism. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the words of A.S. Pushkin addressed to P. Chaadaev: “... I swear on my honor that for nothing in the world I would not want to change the Fatherland or have a different history other than the history of our ancestors, the way God gave it to us.”

The category plays an important role in the formation of patriotic consciousness morality. Time has shown the inconsistency of political emphasis in the education of patriotism, which was characteristic of the Soviet era. Only one who has managed to transform patriotic duty from a socially significant requirement into a deeply conscious internal spiritual need can be considered a true patriot. patriotism homeland fatherland spiritual

Patriotic consciousness can be presented as a kind of “slice” of social consciousness on everyday psychologicalAnd theoretical-ideologicallevels .

The everyday psychological level of patriotic consciousness is a system with a fairly static, practically unchanged “core” in the form of traditions, customs, and archetypes inherent in a given society. Apparently, the very formation of this core, which began in the primitive era, was a thousand-year process. Ordinary consciousness is also represented by a dynamic, constantly changing “shell”, which includes feelings associated with patriotic experiences, empirical concepts and primary value judgments, as well as the psychological state of the masses when they perceive the nature of the situation, one way or another relating to patriotism. It is in this sphere of consciousness that the immediate motivational basis is formed on which the patriotic behavior of people is formed. The everyday psychological level is the sensory stage of patriotic consciousness.

The theoretical and ideological level of patriotic consciousness includes rationally systematized scientifically organized knowledge and ideas about patriotism, expressed in political programs, statements, legislative acts, concerning issues related to patriotism, expressing the fundamental interests of individual social groups, as well as society as a whole. In concentrated form, this level of consciousness is expressed in ideology, which is a reflection of the social interests and goals of society. However, society is not a homogeneous entity, all members of which would have the same goals and interests. Discrepant or contradictory interests of social groups, of course, leave an imprint on patriotic consciousness, but it is love for the Motherland that can be the ideological basis that can unite various social strata around itself.

Analyzing patriotic consciousness, I would like to draw attention to the fact that patriotism is not ordinary feelings, and certainly not a rationalization of sensory perception. Here there is an exit of human consciousness to the level of unity of emotional, intellectual and volitional perceptions and manifestations, which precisely creates patriotic heroes who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Motherland.

Patriotic consciousness acquires value only when it is realized in practice in the form of specific actions and deeds, which together represent patriotic activities.Human behavior can only be considered patriotic when it has a positive meaning for the Fatherland and does not harm other ethnic groups and states. Activities to preserve its potential in all areas, but primarily in the spiritual, are important for the Motherland. As in any type of activity, static and dynamic aspects can be distinguished in the structure of patriotic activity.

From point of view staticaspects in patriotic activity can be distinguished as subject, object and means. SubjectPatriotic activities are carried out by people who are members of a particular society. An objectpatriotic activity represents the Fatherland (Motherland). Facilitiespatriotic activities can be represented by the entire spectrum of means of human activity. But it makes sense to divide them into two groups: the first group consists of means of peaceful labor or creative activity, the second - means of armed struggle or destructive activity. The peculiarity of the second group is that, despite their destructive nature, means of armed struggle play a leading role in the defense of their Fatherland.

From point of view dynamic aspects in the structure of patriotic activity can be distinguished as goal, process and result. Purposepatriotic activity is the achievement (defense) of the interests of one’s Fatherland, both through means of peaceful labor and means of armed violence. Processpatriotic activity is the activity of the subject of patriotic activity in the interests of achieving the set goal. This activity can take place both in peacetime and in wartime conditions. The resultpatriotic activity is one or another degree of achieving the goal. The results achieved in peacetime conditions are significantly different from the results of war. The main difference parameter is concentrated in the price paid for the result. If in peacetime this is, as a rule, selfless labor, then in conditions of armed struggle the price of achieving the result of patriotic activity can be not only the loss of health, but also the loss of the subject’s very life.

Thus, within the framework of patriotic activity, the subject not only strives to change or preserve objective reality, personified for him in the concept of Motherland (Fatherland), but also significantly changes his inner world, bringing it into line with basic patriotic interests and goals.

The third structural element of patriotism is patriotic relations.They represent a system of connections and dependencies of human activity and the life of social individuals and groups in society regarding the defense of their needs, interests, desires and attitudes related to their homeland. The subjects of patriotic relations can be both individuals and various communities of people entering into active interaction among themselves, on the basis of which a certain way of their joint activities. Patriotic relations are relationships between people that can take on the character of a friendly cooperationor conflict(based on coincidence or collision intereststhese groups). Such relationships can take the form of direct contacts or an indirect form, for example, through relations with the state.

Specific place in the system of patriotism occupy patriotic organizations.These include institutions directly involved in patriotic education - patriotic clubs and mugs. A huge amount of work on patriotic propaganda and patriotic education is carried out by veterans, creative, sports, and scientific organizations.

Chapter 2. Patriotism as a spiritual phenomenon of modern society

.1 Functions of patriotism

Social significance patriotism is realized through a number of functions: identification, organizational-mobilizing and integration functions.

Identification the function of patriotism is the most significant. The need of an individual to relate himself to a certain social group, to society as a whole, is one of the most ancient needs of humanity, which arose at the earliest stages of its development. It stems from the biological instinct of self-preservation. Man, being surrounded by a hostile external environment, was constantly in search of satisfying this need. In the most natural way, he could find protection as part of a primitive collective, since he was a herd creature. The natural development of man led him to the fact that the biological need for self-preservation acquired social and spiritual dimensions and began to manifest itself in the function of identification.

Representatives of social Darwinism discussed the relationship between the biological and the social in humans. In particular, K. Kautsky connected the need for self-preservation with the constant struggle of organisms with the external environment. P.A. Kropotkin, as a counterbalance to traditional social Darwinism, put forward the idea of ​​the importance in evolution not of the struggle for survival, but of mutual assistance.

IN traditional societies the identification process had a strict framework associated with the ethnic origin of individuals and their membership in certain social groups. Therefore, there were practically no problems with self-identification.

Modern man in the conditions of the information society, under the influence of the globalization process, faces certain difficulties in the process of socialization. This is primarily due to the fact that a person has many options for “identities” before him and is not always able to determine the most optimal one.

An individual’s patriotism is formed as a result of achieving a balance between the personal level of identification, which consists in communicating unique properties to the individual, and the social level, which is the result of the assimilation of social norms and values.

The basis for personal identification may be an ethnic or professional group, region, political movement. In modern society, there is such a phenomenon as re-identification, that is, the renunciation of ethnicity.

The process of ethnic identification is influenced not so much by the phenotypic characteristics of the individual as by the religious, cultural and behavioral characteristics of the individual’s activities, which have preserved the effectiveness of traditions and customs, and common expectations for the future.

Apparently, ethnic self-identification and national identity cannot be confused. The object of the first is the concept of “Motherland”, and often “ small Motherland" Since national identification has a significant state-political component, its subject is the “Fatherland”.

Meaning organizational and mobilizing The function of patriotism is determined by the fact that through it there is an incentive to patriotic activity. This occurs in the process of correlating the actions of the subject with the interests of his Fatherland.

Information about the Fatherland is transformed into beliefs and norms of behavior as a result of the individual’s awareness of the value of the reality around him. The process of transforming knowledge into interest ends with the initiation of the motive of patriotic activity.

An important feature of this function is that not only the understanding of the Motherland, but also the person himself, his behavior and life position generally. Moreover, such self-esteem is possessed not only by an individual, but also by a social group and even an entire ethnic group.

Society is especially interested in ensuring that this function operates as efficiently as possible. To form the regulatory influence on people’s consciousness that society needs, role models, so-called “heroic symbols,” are created. Moreover, they have a certain mythologized character. If previously they were created by society itself, such as, for example, images of epic heroes, now the state is engaged in the creation of heroic symbols. Suffice it to recall the period of the Great Patriotic War, when the exploits of Alexander Matrosov, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, Nikolai Gastello acquired some “epic”, mythologized features with the help of official propaganda. Unfortunately, our time has shown the reverse process of demythologizing “heroic symbols”, when in life, personalities, even in the feat itself, diligent “researchers” looked for everything that could cast a shadow on the heroes of the Patriotic War. The consequences of such “conscientiousness” were the most negative both in terms of historical knowledge and in the sense of public well-being.

In the first chapter it was noted that any type of human activity can bear the imprint of love for one’s Fatherland. But the most striking imprint of patriotism is borne by military labor. The Defender of the Fatherland not only daily brings his strength, knowledge, and abilities to the altar of patriotism, but is also ready to sacrifice his health and even his life for the sake of the Motherland.

IntegrationThe function is manifested in the fact that no other idea is capable of uniting an entire people like a patriotic impulse. People belonging to different ideological trends, religious denominations, ethnic groups, social classes are able to forget about their differences if their homeland is threatened.

An indicative case is that which occurred during the First World War and was described by General P. Krasnov: “Emperor Wilhelm gathered all our captive Muslims into a separate camp and, currying favor with them, built them a beautiful stone mosque... They wanted to demonstrate the dislike of Muslims for the Russian “yoke.” " But things ended very badly for the Germans...

The mullahs came forward and whispered with the soldiers. The masses of soldiers arose, stood level, and a thousand-voice choir, under the German sky, near the walls of the newly built mosque, thundered out in unison: God save the Tsar... There was no other prayer for the Motherland in the hearts of these wonderful Russian soldiers.”

A striking example consolidation of society based on patriotism is the Great Patriotic War. Even many representatives of the white emigration, having rejected their hatred of the Bolsheviks, not only did not cooperate with the fascists, but also fought against them. It is enough to recall the Russian officers who stood at the origins of the Resistance movement in France.

Thus, having identified the peculiarities of the functioning of patriotism, we came to the conclusion that patriotism? it is always the result of the influence of the surrounding social environment, the upbringing of society, and at the same time it is moral choice of a person, evidence of his social maturity. Therefore, the extinction of patriotism is the surest sign of a crisis in society, and its artificial destruction is the path to the destruction of the people.

2.2 Types of patriotism

Patriotism, as a phenomenon of social reality, does not exist outside the subject. The subject of patriotism is all social entities: the individual, social group, stratum, class, nation and other communities. Based on this, we can talk about patriotism of an individual, a social group, and society as a whole.

The meaning of patriotism personalities extremely large. Each person begins to understand the world around him precisely from himself and throughout his life he correlates his thoughts, feelings and actions primarily with himself. The peculiarity of this type of patriotism is that the individual is not only its subject, but also experiences the strongest reverse influence of patriotic motives. It is very important for full-fledged patriotism how an individual feels in society and the state. The combination of such spiritual values ​​as a sense of honor and self-dignity “... acts, on the one hand, as a form of manifestation of moral self-awareness and self-control of the individual..., and on the other hand, as one of the channels of influence of society and the state on moral character and behavior... » person in society.

Self-respect is the basis on which love for one’s Fatherland is based. “The honor and dignity of a citizen correlate with the dignity of the Fatherland as communicating vessels: the citizen forms the honor of the Fatherland, the honor of the Fatherland elevates the honor of the citizen.” This dependence is felt especially acutely between the soldier and the Fatherland: “... no matter what turns of events, the condition for the possible preservation of the reliability of the army remains unshakable, such as a sense of national dignity and responsibility for the Fatherland, which, in principle, should not be deformed under any circumstances. National dignity is a spiritual and enduring phenomenon.” If a person constantly feels the impact of the state and social structures, which negatively affects his internal state, then this not only does not contribute to the strengthening of personal honor and dignity, but also, ultimately, negatively affects the state of patriotism of a particular person and society as a whole.

Absolutization of the individual to the detriment of society and the state is no less harmful than ignoring this factor. Individualism, cultivated in today's conditions by certain forces in our country, destroys patriotic consciousness from the inside.

It is very important to maintain that balance in which the individual feels protected and respected in the state and society, but, in turn, fulfills his duties with dignity.

IN social-group The carrier of patriotism can be a family, a work or military team, a social group, a class, or a nation.

The primary carrier of group patriotism is family. She has always played a leading role in the formation of patriotic consciousness. The establishment of patriotism must begin first of all with strengthening the family. “It is impossible to love people without loving parents...” The importance of the family for patriotic education is determined primarily by the fact that moral, military-patriotic education in the family is carried out, first of all, through the experience of adult family members. The state and society should do their best to strengthen this social phenomenon, since the safety of these institutions ultimately depends on a healthy family.

A relatively new phenomenon is the so-called "corporate patriotism".There is nothing wrong with employees of a company or even an industry caring about professional prestige. But it is unacceptable when this activity is opposed to national interests. Unfortunately, in our country this model occurs quite often. The highest legislative body of the country lobbies the interests of certain financial and industrial groups that directly contradict the interests of the country. Suffice it to recall the decision to import radioactive waste from abroad.

Special mention should be made of the patriotism of the public state elite. This problem arises most acutely in transitional and crisis periods, when established stereotypes are broken, which leads to deformations of patriotic consciousness. For the social and state elite, patriotic consciousness can act not only as a kind of “litmus test” signaling the state of society and the state, but also be a powerful tool that can have a serious impact on them.

The elite cannot exist without the masses in the same way that the people lose themselves without an elite with a national psychology. Only “...socially active members of society are generators of social progressive development...”, but the vector of this movement may not always meet the interests of the entire society.

It must be emphasized that representatives of the elite can be divided into two groups: “...actors who prefer to look back to knowledge tested by experience, or actors who deny the significance of accumulated knowledge...”. Otherwise, they can be called conservatives (or supporters of traditionalism) and liberals (or supporters of innovation). When we're talking about about patriotism, in no case should we forget that it was nurtured by the experience of many generations, and the accumulation of knowledge by our ancestors provides for its reasonable use, but not its abandonment. It is the attitude towards the past that distinguishes a liberal and a conservative. “A too free, sometimes disdainful attitude towards knowledge, ignoring the ideology of “thinking about the future, remembering the past” characterizes a liberal thinker. Too often the changes advocated by a liberal become valuable in themselves. Thus, the purpose for which they are carried out is ignored. The conservative, while not an opponent of innovations, nevertheless believes that they make sense only when they are a reaction to a certain specific flaw in the surrounding reality.

Consequently, conservative methods transform patriotism most carefully and constructively. But, at the same time, patriotism itself is a universal conservative tool aimed at restoring, maintaining and preserving socio-political unity and harmony.

This type of group patriotism, in which the subject is nation. The complexity is determined, firstly, by the fact that the line between patriotic and nationalistic worldviews is extremely thin. In addition, the appearance of the same ethnic group at different stages of historical development can differ significantly, which, however, does not detract from the importance of continuity between them. Naturally, the patriotism of the Russians of the era of Vladimir I was significantly different from the patriotism of their descendants during the time of Dmitry Donskoy, and the love for the Fatherland of the Russian people under the reign of Ivan the Terrible from the same feeling of the subjects of Peter I. But, nevertheless, they are all united by one root that fed this great feeling since time immemorial.

Secondly, the difficulty lies in the fact that the understanding of patriotism differs significantly among different nations. These differences are due to the peculiarities of the mentalities of these peoples. Moreover, approaches to understanding patriotism may not coincide even among those ethnic groups that belong to the same civilization.

The most difficult thing to study is patriotism, the bearer of which is society as a whole. Public patriotism cannot be considered as a conglomerate of individuals, although it is in them that it has its source. It accumulates that general, basic thing that is contained in many individual and group consciousnesses. It seems extremely important that public patriotism grows on a fairly specific basis. It is internally connected with the previous development of society. The law of historical continuity and connection applies. The main needs and interests of society at a given time find their expression in public patriotic consciousness. historical stage.

There is an interdependence of individual, group and public patriotism. Personal consciousness is reflected in various means and forms of communication, thereby becoming the property of public consciousness. And the results of the consciousness of society spiritually enrich the individual.

A patriot correlates with his individuality the traditions of the family that raised him, the experience of the social group to which he belongs, the characteristics of the nation to which he belongs, and the requirements of the society in which he lives. It is from the combination of this diversity that his patriotism is formed.

Patriotism acts as one of the fundamental needsindividuals, groups, societies.

A need in general is a need for something to maintain life, an internal stimulator of activity. Man, as a social subject, differs from the rest of the animal world in that, unlike the latter, adapting to environment, he actively transforms nature and society. This is due to the satisfaction of existing needs, which, in turn, leads to the generation of new ones that require satisfaction.

Patriotism of a person as a need represents the need to feel like a part of the whole, to realize the justification of one’s existence through the affirmation of the existence of the society to which a given person belongs. Such a need is a multi-level spiritual phenomenon that receives its initial development even at the early, pre-state stages of the evolution of society. Subsequently, such proto-patriotism in relation to the group develops into forms of patriotism of a developed society and state. Supreme manifestation patriotism of an individual should be regarded as a need in which spiritual motives dominate over material ones, since a patriot is capable of sacrificing not only his health, but also his life itself for the sake of his Motherland, which cannot be explained by material reasons.

Patriotism of a social group and society as a whole represents the need to preserve oneself as an integrity that has a certain development prospect. Satisfying such a need is possible only through affirming the need for patriotism at the personal level. Therefore, patriotism acts as a kind of indicator that can warn government circles about the state of the spiritual life of society and the state.

Conclusion

Patriotism is a feeling of love for one’s Fatherland manifested in activity. It combines components such as careabout your Fatherland, responsibilityfor him and respectto him. Patriotism cannot be limited only to the framework of class interests and relations, at the same time it is not permissible to completely ignore them.

The structure of patriotism is represented by such elements as patriotic consciousness, patriotic activity, patriotic attitude and patriotic organization. Patriotic consciousnessrepresents a special form of social consciousness, closely related to its other forms. Patriotic activitiesacts as a defining component of patriotism, since it realizes patriotic interests and values ​​in the form of specific actions and deeds. In the structure of patriotic activity, static and dynamic aspects are distinguished.

Patriotic relationsrepresents a system of connections and dependencies of the activities of individuals and their groups regarding the upholding of needs and interests related to their homeland. TO patriotic organizationinclude institutions engaged in patriotic education and patriotic propaganda.

The main functions of patriotism are identification, organizational - mobilizing and integrating. Identificationthe function manifests itself in the realization of the need to identify the individual with a certain social group or society as a whole. Content organizational and mobilizingThe function of patriotism is to encourage individuals, as well as their groups, to patriotic activity. Meaning integrationThe functions of patriotism are determined by its capabilities to unite various individuals and social groups.

The basis for the classification of patriotism can be its subject. Based on this, the patriotism of an individual, a social group (family, elite, nation), and society as a whole is distinguished.

Thus, patriotism is considered as a need of an individual, a social group, a society, which is a system-forming factor in their existence. From careful attitude The successful future of all humanity depends on patriotism.

List of used literature

1. Gidirinsky V. I. Russian idea and army (philosophical and historical analysis). - M., 1997.

2. Glukhov D.V. Economic determinants of the formation of civil patriotism // Patriotic idea on the eve of the 21st century: the past or future of Russia. Materials from interregion. scientific-practical conf. - Volgograd: Peremena, 1999.

Goneeva V.V. Patriotism and morality // Social and humanitarian knowledge. - 2002. - No. 3.

Spirituality of the Russian officer: problems of formation, conditions and paths of development / resp. ed. B.I. Kaverin. - M.: VU, 2002.

Emelyanov G. Russian Apocalypse and the end of history. - St. Petersburg, 2000.

Zolotukhina-Abolina E.V. Modern ethics: origins and problems. -Rostov n/d, 2000.

Kochkalda G.A. Patriotic consciousness of warriors: essence, development trends and formation (philosophical and sociological analysis): abstract. ...cand. philosopher, science. - M.: VPA im. IN AND. Lenin, 1991.

Krupnik A.A. Patriotism in the system of civil values ​​of society and its formation in the military environment: abstract of thesis. ...cand. Philosopher Sci. - M.: VU, 1995.

Makarov V.V. Fatherland and patriotism: logical and methodological analysis. - Saratov, 1998.

Marx K., Engels F. Soch., T. 2.

Mikulenko S.E. The problem of enlightened patriotism // Vesti. Moscow State University. Ser. 12. Political sciences. - 2001. - No. 1.

Patriotic education of military personnel based on the traditions of the Russian Army / Ed. S.L. Rykova. - M.: VU, 1997.

Patriotic consciousness: essence and formation / A.S. Milovidov, P.E. Sapegin, A.L. Simagin et al. - Novosibirsk, 1985.

Correspondence of A.S. Pushkin: In 2 volumes / Ed. K.M. Tyunkin. - M., 1982. T.2.

Plato. Works: In 3 volumes / General. ed. A.F. Loseva. - M., 1968, T.1.

Savotina N.A. Civic education: traditions and modern requirements // Pedagogy. 2002. - No. 4.

Senyavskaya E.S. The problem of heroic symbols in the public consciousness of Russia: lessons from history // Patriotism of the peoples of Russia: traditions and modernity. Materials from interregion. scientific-practical conf. - M.: Triada-farm, 2003.

Trifonov Yu.N. The essence and main manifestations of patriotism in the conditions of modern Russia (socio-philosophical analysis): abstract. ...cand. Philosopher Sci. - M., 1997.

Philosophical Encyclopedia/ Ch. ed. F.V. Konstantinov. - M., 1967. T. 4.

Philosophical Dictionary of Vladimir Solovyov. - Rostov n/d, 1997.

Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary / Editorial Board: S.S. Averintsev, E.A. Arab-Ogly, L.F. Ilyichev et al. - M., 1989.

Engels F. Konrad Schmidt. To Berlin, 27 Oct. 1890 // K. Marx, F. Engels. Op. -2nd ed. T. 37.

Tutoring

Need help studying a topic?

Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.

Test: Matvey Vologzhanin

Patriotism is one of the almost instinctive feelings of a person. The presence of this quality in us, alas, as always, is very vulgarly explained by biological laws. Tigers would be very bad patriots, cows too, but wolves, on the contrary, would make wonderful sons of the fatherland.

The fact is that humans were initially adapted to exist in related pack groups (not very large, most likely 6–10 people: pairs of parents with grown-up children). Our methods of nutrition and self-defense were ideal for such a design. At the same time, the mutual affection of members of one pack is so great that a person is ready to take significant risks in the name of saving his relatives. And this strategy turned out to be the most profitable for us.

For example, among ruminants that graze in large herds (bison, antelope, gazelles), the “die but protect your own” strategy turns out to be a losing one. James Gordon Russell, who spent a long time studying the behavior of wildebeest in the Serengeti, repeatedly noted cases when individual animals, instead of running away from the lions hunting them, went into a frontal attack. Two or three antelopes, each weighing a quarter of a ton, could easily trample a predator with their sharp hooves and injure it. If the entire huge herd joined the actions of the “wrong” wildebeest, all that would remain of the impudent cats would be a dark spot on the dusty ground of the savannah. However, the herd rushed as fast as they could away from the scene of the fight. And even though the brave men prevailed over the lions, they paid too dearly for it. Russell marked fighting antelopes and saw that the wounds received often led to exhaustion of the animal, its death, or, at a minimum, to a complete fiasco on the love front. The cowardly and fleet-footed egoistic individuals lived much longer and multiplied much more abundantly. Therefore, patriotism is unprofitable for ruminants, just as it is not suitable for large predators, who need a large hunting area in their sole ownership for food.

With us, those who survived and won were those who knew how to fight shoulder to shoulder with members of their pack, who were ready to take risks and even self-sacrifice. Groups grew, turned into tribes, into settlements, into the first proto-states - and ultimately we survived and won to such an extent that we created a civilization.

Greek beginning

"Patriotism" - the word Greek origin, “patria” literally translates as “fatherland,” and the concept itself arose precisely during the era of the Greek city-states. Why did it not exist before this, when, as we have seen, the phenomenon itself is a thing as ancient as the human race? Because there was no need. Before the Greeks, the idea of ​​patriotism was tied by the ideologists of that time mainly to symbols (usually to the symbol of their god or king) as the official embodiment of a deity, or, with a weak influence of religion on public life, as among the northern peoples or in China, to the idea of ​​“blood” that is, to a sense of community with representatives of one's tribe, people who speak the same language and belong to the same people.

The Greeks, who created a civilization of city-states that desperately butted heads with each other, were in complete disarray on this ideological front. All of them - the Spartans, the Athenians, the Sybarites, and the Cretans - were Greeks. Everyone had the same pantheon of gods (although each city chose one or two favorites, who were considered its special patrons), and as a result Greek mythology turned into a description of endless skirmishes between the gods: Apollo and Ares, Aphrodite and Hera, Athena and Poseidon, etc. As for the kings, in most cities they simply were not there, and where there were, there were fewer democratic-minded Greeks they were generally inclined to deify them.

Therefore, they had to look for a different ideological base. And they very quickly found it, proclaiming patriotism to be the first human virtue - the readiness to sacrifice their interests not in the name of sunny Mithras, not in the glory of the great Ashurbanipal, but simply in the name of their fellow citizens, their city, their beloved sunny Athens with its silvery olive groves and old a mother sitting in a modest tunic at a spinning wheel and waiting for her son with victory...

This type of patriotism is now called “police patriotism.” (By the way, when the Greeks began to regularly fight the Persians, their polis patriotism was temporarily, but very quickly replaced by national patriotism, and the speakers of that time, all these Herodotus, Thucydides and Ctesias, very quickly learned phrases like “great Hellas”, “stinking Persians” and “in unity is our strength.”)

The greatest patriots are the Romans

Hellenic ancient ethical norms, as we know, were sometimes taken by the Romans more seriously than the Greeks themselves took them. From the Greek point of view, a patriot is one who regularly pays taxes, participates in public life, does not break laws, and sends horsemen and foot soldiers from his home to the army in case of war. In the era of the Roman Republic, patriotism was synonymous with the word “glory” and was revered above personal valor.

For the Romans, the absolute hero was not Hercules or some other Perseus, who would have fun spending his life in various interesting exploits, but Curtius. This semi-mythological character was a fifteen-year-old youth who, having learned that the smoking bottomless crack that crossed Rome after the earthquake can only be gotten rid of by throwing there the most precious thing that is in Rome, shouting: “The most precious thing in Rome are its patriotic sons.” !” - he jumped into the crevice together with the horse (the horse, according to the myth, was a so-so patriot, for he tried weak-willedly to retreat in front of the abyss, but his trick did not work). Blind obedience to the law, renunciation of one's own self and willingness to give everything in the name of Rome, including one's own children, is the ideal program of Roman patriotism. This ideology turned out to be the most successful for the aggressor nation: tiny Rome subjugated all of Italy, and then three-quarters of Europe, the Mediterranean and a large part of Asia and Africa. (And here the Romans had to change their national patriotism to imperial patriotism, which was much weaker and unreliable.)

Until now, the patriotism of the era of the Roman Republic is considered a commodity of the highest grade, and many ideologists of statehood today dream in the depths of their souls that the capricious, selfish and lazy idiots called their people would go somewhere, and in return they would have millions of true people at their disposal. Romans*.

« Probably, I am also an ideologist of statehood. Moreover, I could do without millions of Romans - the first point of the program would already suit me enough. Although I may just be moping: winter, lack of vitamins... »

Christianity is unpatriotic

At first, Christians were active opponents of patriotism in any form. At best, they agreed to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, that is, to pay taxes, but they were still deeply convinced that there is no Greek, no Jew, no Scythian, no barbarian, but there is only the kingdom of God, in the presence of which any earthly states - dust and decay. “Any foreign country is a fatherland for them, and any fatherland is a foreign country.” There was no talk of a Christian going to serve in the army, because any murder is a sin, this is clearly and clearly stated in the Gospel. Of course, the Roman Empire fought Christianity as best it could, for such an infection could wear through the very iron foundations of the state in a matter of years.

But, as it turned out, Christianity turned out to be a very plastic thing. Firstly, it split into several directions, which were not a sin to fight with each other; secondly, it turned into an excellent weapon for inspiring peoples to fight against the filthy infidels, of which, thank God, there were still plenty in all Asia, Africa and the Americas. As for “thou shalt not kill,” they managed to elegantly bypass this issue: after all, one cannot take ideal but unattainable standards seriously (although any early Christian would have a heart attack if he saw a modern priest busily consecrating an anti-aircraft missile system ). Concerning Orthodox Church, which initially relied on closeness to secular authorities, then patriotism is a virtue that is not only not discussed, but simply obligatory.

Critics and the flirtatious state

In the “patriot - country” pair, the latter behaves like a notorious coquette. You must love her and be ready to sacrifice yourself in her name. For her, you are an empty place. Moreover, the more insignificant a cog you feel, the more patriotic your essence (“Let me die, but my death is nothing compared to the prosperity of my homeland”). You are a booger, you are a zero, you are a trifle, “the voice of one is thinner than a squeak” *).

* - Note Phacochoerus "a Funtik:
« Mayakovsky wrote this when he compared the individual and the party. They say that when he first thundered these lines with his thunderous bass at a poetry evening, people there crawled out of their chairs »

The Fatherland has every right to melancholy chew you up, chew and digest you, and all other patriots will only welcome this if they consider that what they have eaten has benefited the body as a whole. This imbalance in relationships was very clearly expressed by James Joyce in his famous phrase: “I will not die for Ireland, let Ireland die for me!” (IRA supporters now really dislike James Joyce for this phrase.)

Patriotism manifests itself most dangerously where power, in the popular imagination, is a kind of quintessence of the state. The Roman Republicans, who perceived their elected authorities as hired servants, were in little danger in this case: they endlessly debated about what was most beneficial for Rome, and, in general, kept power with a tight grip. But where power was traditionally hereditary, despotic, where the king-priest was the symbol of the country, there the loyal patriotism of the majority of the population allowed rare outrages to happen, often dangerous not only for the inhabitants of the country, but also for the fate of the power itself.

Therefore, since the Enlightenment, there have been thinkers who have tried to modify the idea of ​​patriotism - undoubtedly, the most useful for the survival of society, but fraught with the most unpleasant complications. Kant, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Hobbes, Henry Thoreau - dozens and hundreds of the smartest heads tried to develop the norms of a new patriotism. And they all eventually came to the conclusion that true patriot Not only does he not have to be blind and submissive, but his first duty should be to look for spots in the sun. In order to lead his fatherland to the ideal, it is necessary to monitor him more strictly than a teenage girl - instantly stopping, albeit at the risk of his life, any of his attempts to behave dangerously, stupidly or wrongly. This is how the phenomenon of “critical patriotism” arose, in which a person not only does not praise his country, but, on the contrary, meticulously examines it under a magnifying glass and yells in a loud voice when he notices some nasty thing. One of the programmatic works of this direction was the work of the American writer Henry Thoreau “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” in which he called the first duty of a citizen and patriot a categorical refusal to comply with “wrong” laws that are “destructive” for the country.

Critical patriots always advocate maximum freedom of the press. For the vigilant supervision of society over the work of officials at all levels. For the honest teaching of history, no matter how disgusting the role of the fatherland may look in some cases, for only such knowledge will give society immunity from repeating mistakes.

Usually the authorities, and the majority of the country's residents, do not like critics of patriots and call them enemies of the people. They are sure that love should be blind and unreasoning and perceive critical remarks as a humiliation of their ideals, as a betrayal.

There is no hope that both of these types of patriots will ever come to an agreement.

Modern patriots

In the modern world, attitudes towards the concept of “patriotism” have changed greatly since the times of the Romans. Such unpleasant words as “chauvinism”, “Nazism” and “xenophobia” are dangling too close to him. Nevertheless, there is no point in saying that the time of patriots has passed: they still have a lot to do on this planet.

Even in Europe, which still shakes at the memory of Schicklgruber, there is a rise in patriotic sentiment. Either in Austria Jörg Haider comes to power, then in France Le Pen's ears rise proudly in the elections, then Pino Rauti seduces the Italians with the promise of clearing Milan and Parma of gypsies and Moroccans. This is Europe’s response to two factors: globalization and the mass emigration of Asian and European residents there.

“Immigrants are uneducated, they work for pennies, they claim our benefits, they bring an outdated culture that is alien to us, they rape our daughters and eat our infant sons!”

“Transnational corporations are strangling small entrepreneurs, they are destroying our identity, they are turning our fields and gardens into asphalt-filled sites of dull progress, they are lobbying for their idiotic laws and feeding us their rotten McDonald’s!”

National patriotism as a rejection of foreign influence is undoubtedly appropriate in a world that wants to remain consistently diverse. Therefore, no matter how decent people wince, looking at Tymoshenko in wheat braids and Haider in an Alpine hat, it is worth understanding: as long as patriotism of this kind remains in a position “from below”, as long as it is not supported by laws, as long as it does not call for cannibalism and pogroms - his role cannot be called exclusively negative. It is much more dangerous when national patriotism begins to walk hand in hand with state patriotism.

There are only a few countries in the world in which state patriotism is one of the mandatory components of the ideology carefully instilled by the authorities. These are, for example, the USA, Russia and Japan.

In the United States, a country with an extremely heterogeneous population, it acts as the cement that holds together the motley crew that is the American people. At the same time, ethnic patriotism in the States, as everyone understands, is practically excluded.

In Japan, national patriotism and state patriotism are one and the same. For the Japanese, it is a way to preserve their specific way of life (nevertheless, it is eroding from year to year: modern Japanese are already much closer psychologically to representatives of post-Christian cultures than their grandparents). And since almost exclusively Japanese live in Japan, and there are very few other peoples there, then there is no harm in “Japan for the Japanese!” A little. Of course, for the Japanese! Please, no one is against it, eat your tofu and be healthy.

As for Russia, national Great Russian patriotism, which swelled like a mushroom in the rain after the collapse of the USSR, is now coming into contact with state patriotism, which is diligently spread by the official ideology. The task here is to concentrate power in the hands of the ruling elite and keep the country from the influence of centrifugal forces. Historians again began to lie a lot about this, on television they endlessly talk about evil beeches sitting around the state border, and young people in the evenings go to slaughter Kalmyks and Uzbeks as desecrators of the holy Russian land. Ideologists, of course, realize that national, ethnic patriotism in a multi-ethnic country is a suicidal phenomenon, but so far they cannot come up with anything to eat the state-patriotic fish and avoid a nationwide performance of “Horst Wessel” to the balalaika.

So the time for patriotism is far from over. It is even possible that it will not pass in the distant future, when the entire planet will be a conglomerate of small atomized countries, united in free unions and inhabited by people who choose their citizenship not by birth, but guided solely by personal sympathies. Still, as we already wrote above, patriotism is an instinctive feeling of a person, and each of us feels the need to divide people into “us” and “strangers”. Even if in reality we are all our own.

Let's turn to the interpretation of this word. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia draws attention to the fact that this is, first of all, a feeling. And based on this, he gives the following signs: love for the homeland, the desire to be useful to it, devoted exclusively to it.

However, this definition applies very narrowly to the concept under consideration. In our opinion, love for one’s native land embraces the value experience of the entire people to which a person is involved. Not only is she herself part of traditions and history, she bears the full weight of the experience of previous generations.

Commitment to your people, respect for their culture - this is what true patriotism means.

What do we mean by people? Maybe this is all of humanity? Nation? Town? Village? In fact, it is impossible to clearly define this concept geographically.

We are talking about common values ​​that people adhere to and try to put into practice of their own free will. And the population in this case can be completely different.

Let's look at one interesting formula. Everyone can see their own meaning in it.

People = Population + Political will + Patriotism

One thing about it will always remain unchanged - the people are dependent both on devotion to their native land and on the will of the state. The latter, in order to strengthen the spirit of the nation, is ready to do anything to ensure a comfortable life for the population.

Let us highlight the following postulates that can be seen in this formula.

A people cannot exist without patriotism

We talked about the fact that this concept also includes values ​​– moral, ideological, everyday. Imagine that the feeling of love for the homeland will disappear - respect for the past and traditions will disappear - the people will disappear. This chain is quite logical. We don’t think about how dependent we really are on the experience of previous generations - imagine that every newly born person has to evolve and reinvent the wheel. All the achievements that we enjoy are the product of the activities of millions and billions of our ancestors. And we owe it to them to be grateful.

External will can replace your own will

We have an adequate perception of the events taking place in the state. However, political will implies a slightly different meaning. This is the opportunity and desire to form your own values, complementing the traditions of the past. If we don’t do this ourselves, then anyone can impose them. It is important to be able to defend your right to an opinion and not let other people’s stereotypes wedge into your life, changing it. This is where the split between false and true occurs.

True patriotism is not only love for the fatherland, for the homeland. It is also about defending the interests of its population.

Why is it no longer fashionable to love your native country?

Let's turn to a rather complex problem and try to find, if not a comprehensive solution, then at least a complete answer. What has happened in modern society, why does devotion to the Fatherland cause a smile?

Is it really not important to love your homeland?

Many opposition media promote the desire to remove existing traditions and radically change them. This is a trend, especially among young people. You can endlessly criticize new trends, politicians and oppositionists. But adhering to a strictly conservative course is also not an ideal scenario, as history has shown. The best changes are those that people feel weakly. Our psychology is this: we almost always resist something new, and therefore it is important that people feel comfortable.

Maybe the wrong generation

There are so many opinions now that young people have gone bad. I stopped respecting my elders and appreciating help, moral principles. Give these people a few decades, they will live and see that without the past there is no movement into the future. Hundreds of talented people are also born into the world, it seems that nothing has changed. And the spirit of rebellion inherent in youth is a very transitory thing.

It's about ourselves

But this is more like the truth. Without noticing it ourselves, on the one hand we are developing, and on the other, we are degrading. Let us give one ambiguous example.

A scientist who had long studied evolution from a biological point of view decided to look at it from a philosophical perspective. Man is always working - it is believed that it was labor that made him this way from a monkey. At the same time, people have driven themselves into a trap - how long can a person afford to live without working and enjoying life? Only the rich. So what then is the philosophical meaning of evolution?

But let's return to our question. What is wrong with us? We gradually began to forget the traditions and foundations of previous generations. Some things have become obsolete, some were unique to a certain time, some have become a funny ritual. This is how we slowly began to devalue our love for our homeland.

Another underestimated factor is external influence. Young fragile minds, subjected to forced attacks of other people's opinions and arguments, can create doubts in their young soul. That is why true patriotism is a feeling that can and should take refuge in days of such trials - it will give strength and patience.

How to revive love for your homeland

To answer this question, you need to look at what values ​​are important for modern society.

Science and technology

Smart is the new sexy! You can now hear variations of such a phrase from everywhere: on the radio, television. Technology is not only our future, but also the values ​​of our generation. Where does science begin? From education.

A big problem for many is obtaining knowledge for quite a lot of money. Many, knowing that they will supposedly not learn anything special at higher institutions, simply buy “crusts”. And this is a very scary trend, if you think about it. How many people in our country can injure other people, break things, lives, just because they decided to acquire a diploma in transition.

Nobody is going to make education free just like that, this is a fact that needs to be accepted. Despite this, young people understand that being a professional in their field is an honor and respect. Most, even if they don’t have money for education, try to gain knowledge from books, other people’s research - they try to gain all the experience on their own. This trend could save correct understanding love for the homeland among the new generation.

Defense of the native land

Patriotism is a concept that in many social studies textbooks is considered as the defense of one’s Fatherland from internal and external enemies.

But let’s take a closer look at modern society: a huge number of guys dream of “refusing” the army, knowing what hardships and trials they will have to endure.

Priorities are being set incorrectly now. The great word – “patriot” – was vulgarized, beaten and left for dead. You need to think, first of all, about what values ​​were instilled in the child in the family - not to be intimidated by the army, the barracks, or evil ensigns, but to tell what all these trials will teach.

On the other hand, the army institute is working terribly now - there are many cases when guys who served were brought home in a wheelchair. And no, they were not in hot spots. This is how their “comrades” tried. Everything comes from the family. Now we come to the main thing.

Traditional family values

A strong family of a traditional type is capable of raising a strong, independent external influence a person who adequately assesses what is happening in the country and in the world as a whole. Such a person is capable of not only loving his homeland, but also defending it.

Even if the family was unable to provide that strong moral layer capable of protecting the child, teaching him to appreciate and love his homeland, then he himself can and should take on the role of educator. If not parents, then the right teachers, church, faith - all this contributes to understanding and logically explains what patriotism implies, what love for oneself and people means.

Examples of heroism in Russia: great feats in the name of the Fatherland

What can younger generations learn from if not from the experience of their elders? We invite you to look at the heroic deeds of our compatriots, committed out of love for their native land.

The Great Patriotic War is rich in examples. We will present only those that have been practically forgotten. Little is written about them in books and articles, they are rarely spoken to schoolchildren in classroom hours. Memory is the highest reward for a warrior, which cannot be deprived of him.

Katya Zelenko

She went down in Russian history as the first female pilot to use a ram to destroy an enemy aircraft. Its small Su-2 bomber fought against German stubbornness to the last - until the ammunition ran out.

Our heroine decided to take a desperate act, which became fatal in her life. Her self-sacrifice, not for the sake of fame or money - it was important, it had value for herself. Katya was raised correctly: her love for her homeland was reflected in her heroic deed.

Dima Komarov

The feat of this man truly shows who a patriot is and what patriotism is. He, leading a small detachment of volunteers, rammed a huge German armored train. And after a successful operation, the only one from the entire team was able to survive.

This behavior is admirable: a man strived to do the literally impossible. However, faith in himself, his own strengths and upheld values ​​helped him make a decision.

Kolya Sirotinin

This example seems unrealistic, but the events are documented and took place. This man, together with his friend, opposed a full-fledged German army.

When his comrade died, Kolya began to fight back alone. The result of this was the destruction of 17 tanks and armored personnel carriers, the killing of almost six dozen German soldiers. After Sirotkin ran out of ammunition and grenades, the Germans asked him to surrender. However, the one with the last machine gun flew at the enemy - that’s the whole answer. The young hero died, but did not give up.

Epistinia Stepanova

Now it is quite difficult to understand what is patriotism and what is not. And is it possible to measure love for the motherland by heroic deeds alone?

Epistinia is a unique woman; she gave birth to and raised 15 children, ten of whom went to war and never returned. Yes, you should never forget about the everyday feat during the war. As Tatyana Tolstaya wrote in one of her stories: “women have gone through a difficult path of change from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. These beautiful, fragile undines, as it turns out, can be strong and courageous, only time will require it from them.”

Briefly telling what patriotism is and defining it is quite difficult, since this concept is very broad. If we take it narrowly, considering the concept from textbooks, then it is just a feeling - and most often it is one-sided.

If we look at the problem from the other side, we can highlight an approach in which a person who loves his country is a true citizen who honors the memory of the past generation and cares about his values.

Yes, there is a deep problem of devaluation now this phenomenon, however, it is also possible to outline the main trends in society that will allow traditional values ​​to be instilled in young people in the future. By the way, turning to your roots and origins helps a lot with this. Order a beautifully designed Genealogy Book from us, and you will be pleased with the result for several reasons: good quality completed work and getting to know the previous generation and its history.

What is “patriotism” and what kind of person can be called a patriot? The answer to this question is quite complicated. But, one way or another, for the sake of simplicity of judgment, we can agree to consider Vladimir Dahl as the first who more or less clearly defined the concept of “patriotism,” who interpreted it as “love of the fatherland.” “Patriot” according to Dahl is “a lover of the fatherland, a zealot for its good, a lover of the fatherland, a patriot or fatherlander.” The Soviet encyclopedic dictionary does not add anything new to the above concept, interpreting “patriotism” as “love for the motherland.” More modern concepts of “patriotism” connect a person’s consciousness with emotions on the manifestations of the influences of the external environment in the place of birth of a given individual, his upbringing, childhood and youth impressions, his formation as a person. At the same time, the body of each person, like the organisms of his compatriots, is connected by hundreds, if not thousands of threads with the landscape of his habitat with its inherent flora and fauna, with the customs and traditions of these places, with the way of life of the local population, its historical past, ancestral roots. Emotional perception of your first home, your parents, your yard, street, district (village), the sounds of birds chirping, the fluttering of leaves on the trees, the swaying of grass, the change of seasons and associated changes in the shades of the forest and the state of reservoirs, songs and conversations of the local population, their rituals, customs and way of life and culture of behavior, characters, morals and everything else that cannot be counted, influences the development of the psyche, and with it the formation of the patriotic consciousness of each person, constituting the most important parts of his internal patriotism, fixed on his subconscious level.

That is why the first most severe punitive measures of the Soviet government against the enemies of the people, proposed by Lenin, were execution or deportation from the country without the right to return. Those. The deprivation of a person of his homeland, even by the Bolsheviks, in terms of severity of punishment was equated to execution.

Let's give the concepts of “patriotism” and “patriot” more clear definitions:

1. The main one is the presence among the basic healthy emotions of every person of honoring the place of his birth and place of permanent residence as his homeland, love and care for this territorial formation, respect for local traditions, devotion to this territorial area until the end of his life. Depending on the breadth of perception of the place of one’s birth, which depends on the depth of consciousness of a given individual, the boundaries of one’s homeland can extend from the area of ​​one’s own home, yard, street, village, city to district, regional and regional scales. For owners higher levels patriotism, the breadth of their emotions must coincide with the boundaries of the entire given state entity called the Fatherland. The lowest levels of this parameter, bordering on anti-patriotism, are the philistine-philistine concepts reflected in the saying: “My house is on the edge, I don’t know anything.”

2. Respect for your ancestors, love and tolerance for your fellow countrymen living in a given territory, a desire to help them, to wean them from everything bad. The highest indicator of this parameter is benevolence towards all one’s compatriots who are citizens of a given state, i.e. awareness of that social organism called throughout the world “nation by citizenship.”

3. Do specific everyday things to improve the condition of your homeland, its embellishment and arrangement, assistance and mutual assistance of your fellow countrymen and compatriots (from maintaining order, neatness and strengthening friendly relations with neighbors in your apartment, entrance, house, yard to the worthy development of everything your city, district, region, Fatherland as a whole).

Thus, the breadth of understanding of the borders of one’s homeland, the degree of love for one’s fellow countrymen and compatriots, as well as the list of everyday actions aimed at maintaining and developing its territory and the inhabitants living on it - all this determines the degree of patriotism of each individual and is a criterion for the level of his truly patriotic consciousness. The wider the territory that a patriot considers his homeland (up to the borders of his state), than more love and he shows concern for his compatriots, the more daily acts he performs for the benefit of this territory and its inhabitants progressively (his house, yard, street, district, city, region, region, etc.), the greater the patriot this person is , the higher his true patriotism.

A true patriot stands for those and for what strengthens and develops his homeland and against those and for what destroys it and causes it this or that damage. A true patriot respects patriots of any other territory and will not harm there. In his homeland, he, together with other fellow patriots, fights against those who cause harm to it, and these can only be fellow non-patriotic citizens with a low level or defects of consciousness, or even enemies of the Motherland. In this regard, it is very easy to understand how unpatriotic we are those who sow hostility towards their compatriots, oppress their fellow citizens, use foul language, litter, poison the environment, poach, and lead an unhealthy lifestyle. A fight or enmity with a neighbor, attacks by members of one party on members of another, fans of one football team on fans of another, alcoholism, drug addiction, hazing in the army, corruption, embezzlement - all these are elements of manifestation of various forms of unpatriotism in Russia.

Patriotism either exists to one degree or another, or it does not exist at all. Patriotism is a very secret feeling, located deep in the soul (subconscious). Patriotism is judged not by words, but by the deeds of each person. A patriot is not the one who calls himself that, but the one who will be honored as such by others, but above all by his compatriots. Thus, a real (ideal) patriot can only be considered a person who constantly strengthens his physical and moral health, is well brought up, educated and enlightened, has a normal family, honors his ancestors, raises and educates his descendants in the best traditions, maintains his home (apartment, entrance, house, yard) and constantly improving their way of life, lifestyle and culture of behavior, working for the benefit of their Fatherland, participating in public events or organizations of patriotic orientation, i.e. aimed at uniting fellow citizens in order to achieve patriotic goals and jointly carry out patriotic tasks of varying degrees of complexity and importance for the arrangement and development of their homeland, for the improvement and increase in the number of their enlightened compatriots.

The above, I think, allows us not only to understand the main trends of our national existence, its probable prospects, but also to draw some general conclusions and formulate specific proposals regarding the interethnic consolidation of Russians, the strengthening of statehood and the unity of Russia:

There is a clear need to develop a scientific theory of the harmonization of national relations and a corresponding program for the life of society for the transition period and the long term. The foundation of the conceptual approach should be the ideas of national centrism (getting rid of extremes in the national question in all its aspects) and democratic federalism (providing true equality to all national and administrative-territorial units).

The program of practical actions must be based on legal and practical compliance with the national and regional interests of each subject of the Federation. Only through this can the asymmetry of the current federal structure be overcome. Of particular importance is the coordination and delimitation of powers along the lines: Center - republics, Center - regions (territories, regions, cities), as well as the development of special mechanisms for preventing conflicts between nations and regions, taking into account the experience of countries included in the CIS and other European states.

State policy is called upon to become more national-regional than ever before, taking into account the specifics of the North Caucasus, the Volga region, Siberia, and the Far East. Only such a policy can ensure a relatively painless transition from an essentially unitary state, as the Soviet Union was, to a federal state, as the new Russia strives to become. Strengthening the independence of regions that do not oppose themselves to the Center, but cooperate with it, leads to the priority of supranational values ​​and brings closer the implementation of the national task - to revive a great and strong power with a democratic order and a socially oriented economy. All this will make it possible not only to correctly assess the current situation, but also to largely foresee its development, and therefore to succeed in preventing interethnic friction and conflicts. Such work in the regions is just beginning. That is why interaction and cooperation of sociological services in the Center and locally, as well as the resumption of scientific ties with sociologists from neighboring countries, would be very useful and productive.

History has already proven that any ideology that puts one group of people above others is untenable and is simply doomed to failure; a regime built on this ideology will collapse, burying the ruling class under its rubble, examples of which are Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, medieval feudal states, and Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union is no exception: the proletariat class turned out to be no better than the bourgeois class... Therefore, any Nazi state, if ever formed again, will not last long.

It becomes clear that the two concepts of “nationalism” and “patriotism” should be clearly distinguished. Although the former often hides under the guise of the latter, they should not be perceived as related. Nationalism in foreign and domestic policy will lead the country to decline. And healthy patriotism without a shadow of nationalism will never hurt. A patriot of his country can be a person who is not ethnically related to the titular nation of this state.

From all of the above, we can conclude that Russia of the 21st century is a multinational nation, and it does not need nationalists...

love for the fatherland, devotion to it, the desire to serve its interests with one’s actions. With the transition of tribes to a settled agricultural life, patriotism receives its specific meaning, becoming love for the native land. This feeling naturally weakens in urban life, but here a new element of patriotism develops - attachment to one’s cultural environment or to native citizenship. With these natural foundations of patriotism as a natural feeling is connected its moral significance as a duty and virtue. The main duty of gratitude to parents, expanding in its scope, but without changing its nature, becomes a duty towards those social unions, without which parents would produce only a physical being, but could not give him the advantages of a worthy, humane existence. A clear consciousness of one’s duties towards the fatherland and their faithful fulfillment form the virtue of patriotism, which from ancient times had religious significance; the fatherland was not only a geographical and ethnographic term - it was the patrimony of a special god, who himself, in all likelihood, was more or less distant transformation of the deceased ancestor. Thus, service to the homeland was active worship, and patriotism coincided with piety. The cult did not depend on the homeland, but the homeland, as such, was created by the cult: the fatherland was the land of the paternal gods, and therefore the fugitives, taking these gods with them, founded a new fatherland through them. Taking foreign gods to oneself was the most durable means for conquering foreign lands, as was done by the Romans. The peaceful syncretism of various cults that prevailed among the Hellenes also contributed to the weakening of local patriotism. Towards the end of the ancient world, Greek mixing and Roman absorption led to the formation of a double patriotism, which finally abolished ethnographic and geographical boundaries: patriotism of common statehood and patriotism higher culture. In the minds of the prophets and apostles, the first, earthly fatherland had to perish in order to be reborn in the all-encompassing kingdom of God. All peoples were equally called to the knowledge and creation of this kingdom, and this sanctified national patriotism, but only under the condition of all-human solidarity, i.e. like love for one's people, not against others, but together with all others. Not only for the fulfillment, but also for the consciousness by the majority of humanity of this highest demand, a transition process that has not yet ended, characterized by the predominance of exclusively national patriotism and hostile rivalry of peoples, was needed. In the Middle Ages, the enmity of peoples was not of fundamental importance, yielding to the theocratic idea of ​​the kingdom of God in its two historical materializations - church and state. Natural love for the nearest fatherland existed, but was decisively subordinated in moral consciousness to the requirements of a higher universal order. Just as the prophet Jeremiah once preached to the Jews political self-denial and submission to a foreign conqueror, just as Isaiah saw the savior of his people in the Persian king Cyrus, so the greatest patriot of Italy, Dante, called on the German emperor from beyond the Alps to save his fatherland. Initially, the fatherland was sacred as the patrimony of its own, real god; now it itself is recognized as something absolute, becoming the only, or at least the highest, object of worship and service. Such idolatry towards one’s own people, being associated with actual enmity towards strangers, is thereby doomed to inevitable death. IN historical process The forces that unite humanity are increasingly at work, so that exclusive national isolation becomes a physical impossibility. Consciousness and life are preparing to assimilate a new, true idea of ​​patriotism, derived from the essence of the Christian principle: “by virtue of natural love and moral duties to one’s fatherland, to place its interest and dignity mainly in those highest goods that do not divide, but unite people and nations "