"Godwin was highly critical of Rousseau and ,others who exhorted people to love their country and to 'sink the personal existence of individuals in the existence of the community' as if it were an abstract being. The love of our country is
'one of those specious illusions which are employed by impostors for the purpose of rendering the multitude the blind instruments of their crooked designs'.
It makes us consider whatever is gained for country as so much gained to 'our darling selves'. Patriotism moreover leads to
'a spirit of hatred and all uncharitableness towards the countries around us'.
In place of a narrow patriotism, Godwin taught universal benevolence: we should help the most needy and worthy, regardless of our personal connections. We should act as impartial spectators and not be swayed by the ties of family, tribe, country, or race . And since ideas of great empire and of legislative unity are plainly
'the barbarous remains of the days of military heroism',
Godwin looked to a decentralized society of federated parishes to replace the Nation-State."
No comments:
Post a Comment