Truth About Patriotism

Steven Johnston is Associate Professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida. He is the author of Encountering Tragedy: Rousseau and the Project of Democratic Order.

• Acknowledgments ix1. “Without External Picturesqueness,” Or, Why I Am Not a Patriot 12. This Patriotism Which Is Not One 213. Iconic Drama I: The Mortal Logic of Enmity 644. Iconic Drama II: The Socratic Way of Death 895. The American Memorial/Monument Complex I: The Architecture of Democratic Monuments 1156. The American Memorial/Monument Complex II: Political Not Patriotic 1387. Patriotism and Death: Wounded Patriotic Attachments 1618. Bruce Springsteen and the Tragedy of the American Dream 198Notes 233Bibliography 269Index 279

“Have you become wary of how benign patriotism is invoked to counter bellicose patriotism? In this book Steven Johnston shows you why that wariness is well grounded. He explains the traps attached to benign patriotism, and he presents an alternative suited to democratic life. An indispensable book for a post-Bush era.”-William E. Connolly, author of Capitalism and Christianity, American Style “This courageous book directly confronts a political impulse-patriotism-that has been a largely unchallenged cornerstone of American culture and, at the same time, an integral strategy for the deployment of hatred and resentment that threatens the democratic enterprise. Drawing on diverse sources (intellectual and popular; contemporary, historical, and classical), Steven Johnston questions the very possibility of a coherent American patriotism.”-William Chaloupka, Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University “The Truth about Patriotism will engage the reader in meaningful thought and reflection on a core political issue. He compels the serious reader to question the roots and role of patriotism in today’s political culture. Academics and graduate-level students of political theory and ethics will find this to be stimulating, thought-provoking, and intellectually rewarding reading.” - Peter J. Bergerson (Perspectives on Political Science)