Art begins when a man, with a purpose of communicating to other people a feeling he once experienced, calls it up again within himself and expresses it by certain external signs.
Leo TolstoyRead
In our day the feeling of patriotism is an unnatural, irrational, and harmful feeling, and a cause of a great part of the ills from which mankind is suffering, and that, consequently, this feeling - should not be cultivated, as is now being done, but should, on the contrary, be suppressed and eradicated by all means available to rational men.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Patriotism can lead to irrationality and harm, and therefore should be suppressed.
In this quote, Leo Tolstoy critiques the concept of patriotism, suggesting that it is an irrational sentiment that contributes to human suffering. He argues that rather than fostering patriotism, society should work towards diminishing it, as it often leads to divisiveness and conflict, contradicting rational thought and the greater good.
Themes
PatriotismRationalitySufferingHumanityCritique
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about nationalism, this quote can highlight the dangers of extreme patriotism.
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