Patriotism Concept by Jędrzej Stanisławek

Considering the idea of patriotism in Polish philosophical discourse is challenging for several reasons. The most challenging is its explication as a general idea. However, this seems to be the biggest challenge mainly because patriotism has become a socially coercive category of the political discourse of the right. Therefore, it appears that any debate addressing the issue of clarifying the essence of patriotism will sooner or later turn into a form of social activism and open political struggle. Consequently, it is not surprising, that in populist philosophies, categories such as patriotism, identity, nationality, ethnicity, or nationalism take on various semantic dimensions that substantially impact social attitudes towards the ruling elite. In this sense, patriotism can also be defined as a form of power over the individual, whose actions must be subordinated to the majority’s will. This essay discusses the propositions introduced by a contemporary Polish philosopher Jędrzej Stanisławek in an article titled “Patriotism” (“Patriotyzm”). Stanisławek is concerned with the accuracy of the argumentation that supports the populist model. Nevertheless, let us note that what is described in this article as populist philosophy is accepted by a few prominent intellectuals and philosophers associated with the Warsaw School of Philosophy of Ideas, as evidenced by the publication of Stanisławek’s article in one of the significant peer-reviewed Polish philosophical journals – Edukacja Filozoficzna (Philosophical Education). My focus will be on the validity of Stanisławek’s association between patriotism and Darwinian determinism.