The Figure of The Patriot in Contemporary Politics

The article examines the figure of the patriot in the context of economic globalization, which tends to reshape the concepts of both cosmopolitanism and patriotism. It argues that patriotism emerges in an era dominated by global capital and business as a response from individuals who resist the rise of irresponsible mercenaries and rootless nomads. Within the framework of global mobility, the patriot serves as a counterpoint to the mercenary, rather than to the cosmopolitan, since it is the figure of the mercenary who emphasizes the cosmopolitization of the world. The figure of the patriot is relevant nowadays since it appears to become a key element of a new political paradigm shaped by economic realities. The rise of mercenarism reflects a crisis in the state – historically seen in the ancient polis, the Roman Empire, and Renaissance princedoms – that undermines the foundations of a citizenry willing to defend their homeland. The author argues the resolving this crisis is directly linked to the revival of patriotism, which involves a shift from a self-indulgent pursuit of pleasure to one of social responsibility and civic solidarity. The revival of patriotism is discussed in terms of two projects: the project of love for humanity (Hardt, Negri) and the project for the revival of democratic equality (Panarin). In the first framework, patriotism is presented through the lens of amor patriae, interpreted rather broadly as “love for humanity” (amor humanitatis). Here, the figure of the patriot is presented under various appellations – fighter, republican, revolutionary – each highlighting different aspects of the collective struggle for the ideas of global democracy, achievable only within the republican system. In the second framework, the revival of patriotism is seen as an internal process, stimulated by a “revolution of consciousness”, characterized by several transformative turns that contribute to the formation of both the citizen and the patriot. In this context, the patriot is regarded as a democrat who supports the ideals of social justice and equality within the national territory. 

Keywords: economic globalization; cosmopolitization; mercenary; patriot; patriotism; revival of patriotism; amor humanitatis; revolution of consciousness