MacIntyre neither defends any of these points of views, nor does he negate anything. It interpreted patriotic notions as vice. This view stood in stark contrast to what came to practice in the intellectual realm in the 1960s. On one hand, there is a strong nineteenth century view that patriotism is a virtue. Those who support the idea that moderate form of patriotism is morally superior to extreme forms need to consider that a patriot should not evaluate the merits and achievements of other countries in the same way as they should do with their respective countries. This also helps in establishing justice systems relevant to the cause of a nation. He vehemently upholds the belief that each nation has its particular and unique set of nationalistic principles and hence, each citizen must form independent moral and ethical ideals unique to the country he/she lives in. MacIntyre’s extreme and robust forms of patriotism deviate from the stereotypical notions of generalization. It might be noted that patriotism and nationalism began to differ conceptually from eighteenth century onwards. He also points out that patriotism cannot mean thoughtless commitment to one’s own country without paying any heed to the characteristics of that country. Once this ideal is set, anyone can propagate it in best interest of the nation and the well being of its citizens. So in this regard, patriotism is not just about showing a strong support for one’s own nation rather it lends support to one’s own ideals or felt perceptions, which may or may not tally with that of the nation. The moral ideologies associated with patriotism are to be ascertained more than anything else. According to him, patriotism is not merely standing in defense a nation’s beliefs and constructs simply because it is more related to the realization of the self rather than obsession with nationalism.

Bearing in mind so many contradictory outlooks on the same topic, especially with regards to liberal conceptions of patriotism, Alasdair MacIntyre gives an elucidation in the beginning as to how patriotism can be identified. Identifying patriotism is one of the basic philosophical issues among scholars. This article is going to elaborate on MacIntyre’s argument as presented in Is Patriotism a Virtue? As one of the most revered philosophical figures of the twentieth century, Alasdair MacIntyre in his book Is Patriotism a Virtue? presents a comparative analysis of patriotism based on moral foundations.

Ancient Greeks viewed patriotism as collective notions of language, ethics, justice and commitment to a set of universal values and principals. The most prevalent trend is to define this term as love and obligation to one’s own country. Depending on context, philosophy and geography, the term ‘patriotism’ can be interpreted from many different perspectives by scholars.

Macintyre virtue