The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-09-12
The Bias Of
Patriotism

by the European war, have an excel
lent opportunity for estimating the
extent to which reason is st,aed by
the emotions in even the most highly
civilized peoples when the instinct OF
racial self preservation becomes dom
inant. 1t is splendid lesson, for It
should teach US that in the hour OF
our own trial we are just as apt to
lose our own sense OF values.
That the great masses Of each
country should see no virtue but in
their own, and should view the one
my as combination Of all the sins,
vices and cruelties, is, of course, the
most natural thing on earth, but 1t
may surprise US to find that the
greatest scientists and rhliohorhers
usually credited with calm. dispas-
sionate, international thought, ate
just as full of animus as those who
cannot count name for every fixed
star, and know comparatively moth.
ing Of psychology.
There is no need to MENTION names
for 1t Is fact sufficiently Obvious
that in England, France, belgium,
Russia, Germany and Austria think
ers who have hitherto belonged to
the world, and thought In universal
terms. now belongs to ;neir nation
and think in terms, little moro
technical, but just as narrow as
those of the rank and file. They are
protesting against the bigotry Of
their adversaries with a blissful un.
consciousness OF the truth nat they
are indulging in the very weakness
which they condemn. They are prov.
ing that just as no race can ever be-
come SO civilized as to eliminate the
savage entirely, SO no PHILOSOPHER
can ever become so saturated In alb
solute ethics as to dispel all the NOR
atty of the tribe when his tribe is
In danger.
The bias of patriotism has never
been effected from the most coDsci;
entious of thinkers. Herbert SPENCE
in his Study of Sociology, devoted
about forty pages to that particular
form of mental warp, his object Re
ing to put the budding sociologist on
his guard against the errors In -eas'
oning likely to arise from that source:
II still stands as one of the finest DIS
courses ever written on the subject
and vet Spencer in his eagerness to
prove that certain French and Ger
man scientists had been too partial
| to the achievements OF their own
countrymen, falls into the mistake oil
unduly exalting the results Of British
investigation. However, he does sue
coed in establishing the general
truth that
by incorporation in his so
ciety, the citizen is in a measure In
capacitated for estimating rightly It's
characters and actions In relation to
those of other societies. =. And II
has been made manifest, also, that
when he strives to emancipate him
self from these influences OF race
and country, and locality, which warp
his Judgment he is apt to have his
Judgment warped in the opposite way
From the perihelion of patriotism nc
ia carried to the aphelion OF anti
patriotlsm; and is almost certain &c
form views that are more or less &c
centric. instead of circular, allsided
balanced views.
Spencer did not say that OF the
two forms the anti-patriotic bias II
the more reprehensible, but 1t needs
no philosopher to tell us that. II
men must have n warp in their judg
ments where race issues are concern
ed, it is far better that they shouio
lean to, my country, right or wrong
than to that unloveliness which sees
no virtue save in foreign land
1t is objected that from carries
youth up each nation trains It's citl
zens to the belief that they are I'M
salt of the earth, and furnishes then
with histories giving n wholly dis
torted view of foreign affairs, but TIL
vast body of patriotic prejudice thu
created is the greatest of all wealth
to country when there is the cal
to arms
And the lesson to America In thi
hour of Europe's trial Is that W
should look with the kindliest indu
gence upon patriotism which res
dents and citizens of foreign brit
have not been able to shake off. w
..uno. ovnaot tho fret UanaratiOn 4