What is patriotism? How do you define patriotism? I have been asked these same questions over and over again in the past few weeks. I believe most of us in Hong Kong are patriots - I do not think too many of us are scheming to overthrow the government or planning to declare independence. And I do not feel that the central authorities question Hong Kong people's loyalties or feelings towards their country.
Really, patriotism cannot be defined - not in the universal sense. Almost every individual's sense of patriotism is different and people feel they are patriots for many different reasons. It is a very personal and subjective view of feelings towards the nation one is a citizen of, the history of which one is a part, and the appreciation of how far one's home has come from the previous years. We will inevitably have different standards.
It is vital for us all to acknowledge that patriotism comes in different forms. It should not be mistaken as extreme nationalism or any type of chauvinism. One way of looking at patriotism is by understanding its three main types: civic patriotism, nationalist patriotism and trait-based patriotism.
Civic patriotism has nothing to do with one's place of birth. It is about the bond one has with other members of society and their 'place' in the state. This kind of patriotism is inherently political in nature but is not dependent on national or ethnic identity. Civic patriotism requires the recognition of a state and a moral duty to it.
In this sense, patriotism does not require an uncritical endorsement of everything that happens in the political body. To be critical is allowed, and considered patriotic. The line between being critical and being destructive lies in one's intentions. The intention of being critical is to bring about common good while being destructive is intended to undermine the state.
Nationalist patriotism focuses on the national group one belongs to, not the political system. A national group has a lot of shared attributes which may include a common history, language and ancestry. National affiliation provides people with meaning and a sense of identity. To better understand what nationalist patriotism is, we must think of it like our relationship with our family. People cannot choose their family, nor can they choose which social group or race they belong to. Shared common bonds between family members impose certain responsibilities - protection of the family is considered a duty.
Trait-based patriotism is perhaps the simplest of all. This is the direct result of reflecting on and appreciating a place's qualities - it could be its beautiful countryside, the quality of life or rule of law, for example. Patriotism is not supposed to be negative, it is about being proud of who we are, our history, and the respect for the state and nation we belong to. It is about protecting our country's territorial integrity. It is also about responsibilities and duties.