Changes in the concept of nationalism （爱国主义的变迁）

　　Nationalism can be defined as a deep sense of loyalty and devotion that one feels for one‘s own race and country. It is a set of emotions that is nurtured over thousands of years. And as agrarian communities give way to modern urban societies，nationalism today has also evolved into a form that is quite different from the ancient one that we know of.

　　Nationalism in the old days did not just refer to loyalty to the country. It was closely tied up with loyalty to the emperor or sovereign king. Both were inseparable. Chinese general Yue Fei‘s undivided loyalty to the country and the Song emperor（who was misled by corrupt court officials）was what led to his tragic death years ago.

　　Empirical evidences also showed that early nationalism had its origin in regional and blood ties. Unless a grouping was assured that the interests of its own families and communities were met，it would be difficult for them to fulfil their duties and obligations to the country. This was why when a new emperor was enthroned，he would confer titles and territories to his kinsmen. Such feudal practices were also common among regional government officials. The wider sense of patriotism to the emperor and country could only be stimulated in turbulent times when a country was in danger of invasion by outside forces.

　　This form of early nationalism was suitable for old economies that were basically agrarian in nature，and interdependence and communication links among them were limited. Under these circumstances，rulers resorted to power politics to preserve their territories and their system of government. And power politics went hand in hand with nepotism and cronyism.

　　Actually，it is not difficult to understand why ancient rulers behaved in this manner. In primeval times，tribal chiefs and their members had to resort to power to ensure the survival of their whole community.

　　Today，however，a different perspective of nationalism has been taken. People can now differentiate between loyalty to the individual ruler and loyalty to the country. They would not rise to calls for nationalism unless the interests of the ruler and theirs are identical，that is，they truly reflect the interests of the country. To love the country is to love its citizenry. This is fundamental. Loyalty to the nation and country must take precedence over blood ties and loyalty to an individual or to a community.

　　Unfortunately，social progress does not take place evenly. As a result，the new concept of nationalism also evolves at a different pace. In some societies，people still hold on to the narrow brand of nationalism――one that is confined to their region. These people place high regard for their immediate families，then relatives，then clans and then regions or religious groups. Examples of these are found in many developing countries，where many of their citizens unscrupulously sacrifice national interests for their own benefits or those of their groups. For these people，loyalty to the country is secondary. They would only npursue national interests or turn to diplomacy when their individual or their group‘s interests need to be protected.

　　So how do we reinforce the modern concept of nationalism？We need to understand that rights and responsibilities are paradoxes. On one hand，a person needs to be given some political rights before he is able to perform his civic duties. On the other hand，a civic conscious person will demand rights that are due to him. In time to come，as a society modernises，people‘s rights and responsibilities should be balanced.

　　Once the majority in a society are able to exert their rights and fulfil their responsibilities，they will regard themselves as masters of their country and their own destiny. Citizens whose nationalism is built on this foundation are likely to have acquired a high level of modern civic consciousness.

　　Governments of developing countries need to understand this simple principle if they want to conduct education and publicity programmes effectively to promote the new concept of nationalism among their citizens.

　　Generally，governments find it effective to use the mass media to transmit nationalistic values as they are penetrating and far-reaching. At the same time，governments should，at appropriate times，respond with changes in civic laws and regulations in order to support the new concept of nationalism.

　　In a nutshell，national education should be accompanied by legal changes that would accord its people basic civil rights. Without this guarantee of basic civil and individual rights，a country‘s citizens would not be able to say that they are masters of their destiny. Then there is no need to talk about setting up a law-abiding society or even creating a consciousness of the new concept of nationalism.

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