Patriotism

To be partial (to parents, siblings, spouse, children, friends, colleagues, coreligionists, and compatriots) is inherent in human nature. The question for ethics is not whether to eliminate partiality (which is impossible), but how to channel it for the greater good. That some philosophers think patriotism no better than racism, morally speaking, shows that philosophy is—and should be—irrelevant to how we live our lives. By the way, being partial doesn't mean giving no weight to the interests of strangers; it means giving less weight to the interests of strangers. If I have to choose between inflicting a minor injury on my wife and inflicting a grave injury on a stranger, perhaps I should inflict the minor injury. But, other things being equal (or close thereto), I may, and indeed should, put my wife's interests above the interests of strangers.