Conceptions of Patriotism in British Society

Patriotism is a worldwide spiritual phenomenon, but it exhibits considerable differences across countries. Even in the United Kingdom, mainstream politicians, scholars, and the general public hold different attitudes and positions towards patriotism.

爱国主义是一种世界性的精神现象，但在各国呈现出较大差异，即使是在英国，主流政治家、学者和普通大众等也对爱国主义持有不同的态度和立场。

I. British Politicians’ Conception of Patriotism

一、英国政治家的爱国主义观

Patriotism is a relatively sensitive topic in the United Kingdom. The British government’s attitude towards patriotism is rather ambiguous, sometimes even self-contradictory. However, relevant laws, regulations, policies, and leaders’ speeches all indicate that the British government and mainstream politicians attach great importance to cultivating citizens’ national identity and sense of belonging. Even in some special circumstances, they explicitly advocate and promote patriotism.

爱国主义在英国是一个比较敏感的话题。英国政府对爱国主义的态度较为模糊，有时甚至自相矛盾。但是，相关法律法规、政策和领导人讲话等都表明英国政府和主流政治家很重视培育公民的国家认同感和归属感，甚至在一些特殊情况下，他们会明确倡导和推崇爱国主义。

Cultivating citizens’ sense of belonging to the nation and loyalty to the head of state is a basic requirement of British laws, regulations, and related policies. In the UK, many laws, regulations, and related policies have clear stipulations on issues related to patriotism, such as citizens’ national identity and sense of belonging. For example, the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 stipulates that anyone applying to become a British citizen must demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of the English language, culture, ethnicity, and life in the UK. After meeting these conditions, applicants must also take a test to possess common knowledge about daily life in the UK, the political and legal system, employment, equality, fairness, justice, and so on. Among these, the understanding and mastery of language and culture are important factors in measuring whether they have formed a sense of national identity. In 2004, the British government began implementing a citizenship ceremony policy for new citizens and provided the recitation content for the oath segment, requiring naturalized citizens to be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs, and the United Kingdom. Then Home Secretary David Blunkett explained, “The reason for holding the citizenship ceremony is to give the status of British citizen a sense of sanctity and solemnity, rather than simply going through an administrative procedure.” [1]1 David Blunkett (1947–), Labour MP and Home Secretary from 2001 to 2004. Furthermore, on March 12, 2008, the British government introduced a new education policy requiring all British school leavers to swear allegiance to the Queen and the country upon graduation, requiring schools to enhance students’ sense of national belonging, thereby strengthening patriotic education for young people.

培养公民的国家归属感和对国家元首的忠诚是英国法律法规及相关政策的基本要求。在英国，有不少法律法规和相关政策都对公民的国家认同感及归属感等与爱国主义相关的问题有明确规定。比如，2002年颁布的《国籍、移民和庇护法》规定，凡是申请成为英国籍公民的人都需要证明他们对英国的语言、文化、民族以及生活有足够的认知和理解。满足以上条件之后，申请人还必须参加考试，以便拥有对英国日常生活、政治法律体系、就业、平等、公平、正义等方面的常识。其中，对语言和文化的理解以及掌握程度是衡量其是否形成国家身份认同感的重要因素。2004年，英国政府开始实施新公民的入籍典礼政策，并提供了宣誓环节的诵读内容，要求入籍者忠实和忠诚于女王陛下伊丽莎白二世、她的继承人、忠于联合王国等。时任内政大臣戴维·布兰科特（David Blunkett）解释说，“之所以举办入籍仪式，是为了让英国公民这一身份变得有神圣感和庄重感，而不是简单地走行政程序”。不仅如此，英国政府还于2008年3月12日推出一项新的教育政策，要求所有的英国毕业生在离校之际都要宣誓效忠女王和国家，要求学校增强学生的国家归属感，以此加强对年轻人的爱国主义教育。

The frequent occurrence of terrorist attacks is one of the reasons why British politicians pay high attention to and place importance on issues related to patriotism. At the beginning of the 21st century, the “9/11” attacks in the United States shocked the world. Subsequently, several terrorist attacks occurred successively within the UK. For instance, on July 7, 2005, multiple bombings took place on the London Underground, sparking widespread concern and heated discussion in British society. In the view of British officials, the reason such ethnic and religious contradictions emerged and led to violent conflicts was the failure to form a unified British citizen identity. Government officials subsequently issued a series of speeches emphasizing the importance of national unity. For example, when Gordon Brown delivered his first public speech as British Prime Minister in 2006, he called for national unity and proposed that the UK should hold annual promotional and celebratory events regarding British citizen identity at a fixed time. He believed that in a country like the UK, with numerous ethnic groups and religious beliefs, it was very necessary for citizens to have a unified national identity. Therefore, the government would take more measures to strengthen British citizens’ sense of national pride and belonging. This indicates that in the eyes of British politicians, strengthening education on national identity is very necessary and urgent.

频繁发生的恐怖袭击事件是英国政治家对爱国主义相关议题高度关注和重视的原因之一。21世纪初，美国“9·11”事件震惊了世界。随后，英国国内也相继发生了几起恐怖袭击事件。比如，2005年7月7日，伦敦地铁发生多起爆炸袭击，在英国社会引发了广泛关注和激烈讨论。在英国官方看来，之所以出现此类民族和宗教矛盾，并引发暴力冲突，是因为未能形成统一的英国公民身份认同。政府官员随即发表了一系列的讲话，强调国家团结一致的重要性。比如，戈登·布朗（Gordon Brown）在2006年以英国首相身份发表第一次公开讲话时，就呼吁国家保持团结一致，并提议英国每年应当在固定时间举办关于英国公民身份认同感的宣传庆祝活动。他认为，在英国这样一个拥有众多民族和宗教信仰的国家，公民拥有统一的国家身份认同非常有必要。因此，政府将采取更多措施，强化英国公民的国家荣誉感和归属感。这表明，在英国政治家眼中加强国家认同感教育是十分必要和迫切的。

In recent years, some members of the British Labour Party have actively advocated using patriotism to uphold the Party’s image and called for the Labour Party to appear more patriotic. The Labour Party is one of the two main ruling parties in the UK, but its support rate in British society has shown a downward trend in recent years, and the number of Labour MPs has been continuously decreasing. To maintain the Labour Party’s long-standing position, some politicians have turned their attention to patriotism. For example, Labour politician Rebecca Long Bailey proposed in December 2019 to gradually awaken the patriotic sentiments of the working class. She pointed out, “The British working class has a long historical tradition of patriotism, an emotion built on solidarity and pride in everyone’s common interests and shared life… Therefore, for the Labour Party to win, we must restore this progressive patriotism and spirit of solidarity in a form suitable for modern Britain.” Labour MP Liam Byrne believes that patriotism is a spiritual bond that can enhance mutual connection, promote unity and cooperation, and reduce conflict and violence. Therefore, to win elections, the Labour Party needs to cultivate and stimulate people’s patriotic sentiments, leveraging its role in uniting people’s hearts. To regain lost seats in Parliament and enhance the Labour Party’s credibility, Labour MP John Healey stated: “We cannot ignore the power of homeland and patriotism. When countries around the world are increasingly divided, drastically affecting our sense of belonging, our towns and our country become even more important. The most successful practical activities of left-wing groups have all embodied the sentiment and purpose of serving the country and loving the country.”

近年来，英国工党部分议员积极主张借助爱国主义维护党的形象，并呼吁工党应当表现得更为爱国。工党是英国两大主要执政党之一，但近年来在英国社会的支持率呈现下降趋势，工党议员数不断减少。为了保住工党长期以来的地位，有些政治家把关注点转到了爱国主义上。例如，工党政治家丽贝卡·隆·贝利（Rebecca Long Bailey）在2019年12月曾提议，要逐步唤醒工薪阶层的爱国情感。她指出，“英国工人阶级有着悠久的爱国主义历史传统，这一情感是建立在团结以及为每个人的共同利益和共同生活而自豪的基础之上的……因此，为了工党能够赢得胜利，我们必须以适合现代英国的形式恢复这种进步的爱国主义和团结精神”。工党议员利亚姆·伯恩（Liam Byrne）认为，爱国主义是一种精神纽带，能够增进彼此连接、促进团结和合作，减少冲突和暴力。因此，为了能够在选举中获得胜利，工党就有必要培育和激发人们的爱国主义情感，发挥其凝聚人心的作用。为了挽回工党在议会中失去的席位和提升工党的公信力，工党议员约翰·希利（John Healey）指出：“我们不能忽视国土和爱国主义的力量。当世界各国日益出现分裂并急剧影响我们的归属感时，我们的城镇和我们的国家就变得更加重要了。左翼团体最为成功的那些实践活动，都体现出了为国和爱国的情怀和宗旨”。

Some left-wing Labour politicians previously adopted an evasive or opposing stance towards topics and activities related to patriotism. In their view, patriotism was either meaningless—an irrational emotion formed towards one’s birthplace—or dangerous—inciting belligerent or xenophobic sentiments or behaviors. This attitude has been criticized by many politicians, scholars, and media figures. For example, the great English writer George Orwell once criticized left-wing intellectuals’ ignorance of patriotic sentiment and believed that patriotism itself possesses extraordinary power, indispensable for an increasingly interconnected society. In February 2021, Sunder Katwala, head of the think tank “British Future,” publicly refuted the view held by some left-wing Labour figures that patriotism is dangerous. He emphasized that patriotism is an indispensable means for promoting national stability and development and advised left-wing politicians to accept this trend as soon as possible. Under external pressure and the need for self-development, the Labour Party has increasingly focused on and valued patriotism, once planning to incorporate patriotic elements into a political activity, including hanging national flags.

也有部分工党左翼政治家以前对爱国主义相关话题和活动采取回避或反对立场。在他们看来，爱国主义要么毫无意义——是对出生地形成的一种非理性的情感，要么具有危险性——引发好战或排外的情感或行为。这种态度受到了诸多政治家、学者和媒体人的批评。例如，英国大文豪乔治·奥威尔（George Orwell）曾批评过左翼知识分子对爱国情感的无知，并且认为爱国主义本身具备非凡的力量，对于一个联系日益紧密的社会来说不可或缺。2021年2月，“英国未来”（British Future）智库负责人桑德·卡特瓦拉（Sunder Katwala）公开反驳了一些工党左翼人士认为爱国主义很危险的看法。他强调，爱国主义是促进国家稳定和发展不可或缺的手段，并劝告左翼政治家尽快接受这一趋势。基于外界压力和谋求自身发展的需要，工党越来越关注和重视爱国主义，曾计划在一项政治活动中加入爱国主义的元素，包括悬挂国旗等。

From the above, it can be seen that the British government and mainstream political circles basically hold a positive and supportive attitude towards patriotism. As Katwala stated: The British “government, while clamoring to build Britain into an international power that firmly upholds human rights and plays an important role on the world stage, still expects school curricula to focus more on Britain’s own history rather than world history, and believes that British children need to understand the nation’s history before they can accurately grasp Britain’s position and role in the world. For Britain, looking inward is more important.” In summary, the British government and mainstream politicians have a consensus on the importance of patriotism. In their policy arrangements and specific measures, they either explicitly or implicitly show the purpose and intention of using patriotism to maintain national unity and stability.

由上可见，英国政府和主流政界对爱国主义基本持肯定和支持的态度。诚如卡特瓦拉所言：英国“政府虽然嚷着要把英国建设成为一个坚定维护人权、在世界舞台上发挥重要作用的国际化大国。但是，他们仍然期望学校课程要多关照英国自身的历史，而不是世界历史，并且认为英国儿童需要了解国家的历史，然后才能准确把握英国在世界上的地位和作用。对英国来说，更重要的是放眼国内。”总而言之，英国政府和主流政治家对爱国主义的重要性是有共识的，他们在政策安排和具体举措上都或明或暗地显示出利用爱国主义维护国家团结和稳定的目的与意图。

II. British Scholars’, Primary and Secondary School Teachers’, and Some Media’s Conception of Patriotism

二、英国学者、中小学教师和部分媒体的爱国主义观

In the UK, most scholars hold a cautious, even negative, attitude towards patriotism and patriotic education. In fact, patriotism has sparked intense debate within British academia, especially concerning the issue of advocating patriotic education in schools, which has received widespread attention in the field of philosophy of education.

在英国，多数学者对爱国主义、爱国主义教育持谨慎、甚至否定的态度。事实上，爱国主义在英国学术界引发了激烈的讨论，尤其是关于学校倡导爱国主义教育的问题在教育哲学领域受到了广泛的关注。

The British academic community has not yet reached a consensus on whether patriotic education has legitimacy. Although scholars also recognize that cultivating patriotic sentiment has functions such as enhancing social cohesion, many scholars still harbor concerns and doubts about patriotic education, focusing mainly on the potential negative impacts it may bring. For example, Michael Hand and Joanne Pearce point out that patriotic education of students could lead them to believe certain false or exaggerated propaganda and statements, and that promoting patriotism could be disadvantageous for students who are not British nationals. They state: “Patriotism seems to be something peculiar to white people who are British; when we discuss the attributes and characteristics that constitute being British, it easily leads to ethnic division.” Bruce Carrington and Geoffrey Short also argue that “children should be encouraged to reject blind loyalty to the country.” Alison Jeffers, after studying the naturalization ceremonies of new British citizens, found that while the new citizens participating in the ceremonies appeared enthusiastic on the surface, the loyalty they pledged might not be genuine. Other scholars believe that students have no obligation to become patriots, that patriotic education falls within the realm of emotional education, and that schools guiding students’ patriotic sentiments may not necessarily have legitimacy; it is illegitimate for schools to influence students’ emotional experiences through means such as psychological control.

英国学术界对爱国主义教育是否具有正当性还未达成共识，虽然学者们也意识到培养爱国情感具有增强社会凝聚力等功能和作用，但仍然有众多学者对爱国主义教育存在担忧和疑虑，他们主要关注的是爱国主义教育可能带来的负面影响。例如，迈克·汉德（Michael Hand）和乔安妮·皮尔斯（Joanne Pearce）指出，对学生进行爱国主义教育会导致他们相信某些虚假或夸大的宣传和言论，提倡爱国主义会不利于非英国国籍的学生。他们说：“爱国主义好像只是那些作为英国人的白人才特有的东西，当我们去讨论构成英国人的属性和特征时，容易导致民族分歧。”布鲁斯·卡林顿（Bruce Carrington）和杰夫瑞·肖特（Geoffrey Short）也主张，“应该鼓励儿童拒绝对国家的盲目忠诚”。艾莉森·杰弗斯（Alison Jeffers）在研究了英国新公民的入籍典礼后发现，参加典礼的新公民表面上看很热情，但其承诺的忠诚可能并非出自真心。还有学者认为，学生并没有成为爱国者的义务，爱国主义教育属于情感教育领域，学校对学生进行爱国情感引导不一定具有正当性，学校通过心理控制等手段来影响学生的情感体验是不合法的。

Scholars suggest that schools should approach and discuss the topic of patriotism with caution, with Michael Hand’s view being the most representative. He argues that our duty as educators is not to give a definitive answer in discussions about patriotism, but rather to enable students to understand and grasp as much as possible the advantages and disadvantages of patriotic sentiments or behaviors, encouraging them to learn to handle and cope with issues related to patriotic sentiments in their emotional lives. In response, some scholars have proposed that schools should teach patriotism as a controversial topic and have provided teachers with ten suggestions: give the topic of patriotism normal attention without deliberately avoiding it; actively respond to students’ questions about patriotism; help students understand the reasons people oppose or support patriotism and enable them to form corresponding judgments; challenge students’ conformist views by providing examples or presenting opposing viewpoints; correct students’ misconceptions about patriotism; remain sensitive to the topic of patriotism, promptly noting changes in students’ emotions and classroom atmosphere, and appropriately mediating conflicts or interrupting discussions; maintain neutrality without presupposing a stance on patriotism; pay attention to one’s own tone of voice, body language, and students’ daily behavior to prevent conveying incorrect messages; guide students to learn to control their emotions and correctly view the emotional experience of patriotism; pay attention to the possibility of multiple patriotic sentiments, as students may develop a sense of identity and belonging towards multiple national communities. These suggestions aim to encourage teachers to adopt a cautious approach towards patriotism and keep related discussions within a rational scope. Surveys indicate that the above suggestions have received approval from the majority of scholars, teachers, and students. It is evident that scholars generally agree on the approach of teaching and discussing patriotism as a controversial topic, allowing students to understand the basic views of both proponents and opponents of patriotism, and on this basis, letting students make their own judgments.

学者们建议学校谨慎对待和讨论爱国主义话题，最具代表性的是迈克·汉德的观点。他认为，作为教育者，我们的职责不是在关于爱国主义的讨论中给出一个肯定的答案，而是应当让学生尽可能地了解和掌握爱国情感或行为的优缺点，鼓励他们学会处理和应对情感生活中与爱国情感相关的问题。对此，有学者提出，学校应当把爱国主义作为争议性话题来讲授，并给教师提供了十个方面的建议：给予爱国主义主题正常的关注，不刻意回避；积极回应学生关于爱国主义的问题；帮助学生认识人们反对或支持爱国主义的理由并让其形成相应的判断；通过举例或呈现相反观点的方法，对学生一些随大流的看法提出挑战；更正学生对爱国主义的一些错误认知；对爱国主义话题保持敏锐性，及时注意学生的情绪变化、课堂氛围，适时调节冲突或中断讨论；保持中立，对爱国主义不预设立场；注意自己的语音语调、肢体语言以及学生的日常举止等，防止传递错误信息；引导学生学会控制自己情绪，正确看待爱国主义这一情感体验；关注多种爱国主义情感的可能性，学生可能对多个国家共同体产生认同感和归属感。这些建议旨在鼓励教师采取审慎的方式对待爱国主义，将相关讨论控制在理性的范围内。有调查表明，上述建议得到了大部分学者、老师和学生的认同。可见，学者们比较认同的做法是把爱国主义当作一个有争议的话题来讲授和讨论，让学生知晓提倡爱国主义者和反对提倡爱国主义者的基本观点，并在此基础上，让学生自己作判断。

Primary and secondary school teachers generally adopt an attitude of avoidance or indifference towards topics related to patriotism. For example, when Terry Haydn conducted a survey in 1999 on whether history teachers should teach about values and value positions in their courses, and whether they should cultivate students’ sense of pride in being British through the curriculum, most teachers gave negative answers. In 2009, research by Gary Clemitshaw and Lee Jerome showed that citizenship education teachers and history teachers expressed strong skepticism towards the idea of cultivating “Britishness” and core British values. They also found that many teachers did not teach about Britishness and British values as the government expected. Overall, primary and secondary school teachers generally adopt four approaches to patriotic education: avoiding the topic in the classroom, even when students raise it, placing it in a safe zone; adopting a neutral stance, discussing patriotism as a controversial or open question; actively promoting patriotic sentiments; and discouraging patriotism through rational and irrational means. In recent years, under the advocacy of the British government, the attitudes of primary and secondary school teachers towards patriotic education have also undergone some changes. For instance, the *Western Post* reported that in 2021, the British government strongly advocated for British schools to strengthen patriotic education, especially promoting commemorative activities themed “One Britain, One Nation,” aimed at stimulating students and teachers to focus on patriotic topics and enhance their national identity. This activity received support and recognition from some teachers and students in Welsh secondary schools.

中小学教师对爱国主义相关话题基本上采取回避或漠视的态度。例如，特瑞·海丁（Terry Haydn）在1999年针对历史教师是否应当在其课程中讲授关于价值观和价值立场问题，以及是否应当通过课程培养学生作为一名英国人的自豪感等问题进行调研时，大部分老师都给出了否定的回答。2009年，加里·克里米肖（Gary Clemitshaw）和李·杰罗姆（Lee Jerome）的研究显示，公民教育课老师和历史课老师都对培育“英国特性”和英国核心价值观的想法表示了强烈的怀疑。他们还发现，很多老师并没有像政府所期望的那样去讲授关于英国特性和英国价值观的内容。总体而言，中小学教师对爱国主义教育一般采取四种做法：在课堂上回避这一主题，即使学生提及也将其置于安全领域；采取中立的立场，将爱国主义作为争议性或开放的问题加以讨论；积极促进爱国主义情感；采取理性和非理性方式劝阻爱国主义。近年来，在英国政府的倡导下，中小学教师对爱国主义教育的态度也发生了一些变化。比如，《西方邮电》就曾报道，英国政府在2021年大力倡导英国的学校加强爱国主义教育，尤其是提倡开展“同一个英国，同一个国家”的纪念活动，旨在激发学生和教师关注爱国话题，增强其国家认同感。这一活动得到了一些来自威尔士中学师生的支持和认同

Furthermore, some British media outlets maintain a reserved attitude towards patriotism. For example, *The Guardian* commentator Gary Younge calls for us to understand and answer the question “what it means to be British” on our own, rather than relying on official explanations. He points out that regarding the identity of being British, we should not focus on whether the British possess characteristics like intelligence, but rather on their resilience in fighting for equality and dignity. However, patriotism usually does not include the above content. On the contrary, patriotism expresses “devotion and strong support for the country,” and reverence for the national flag, national anthem, and military parades. Overall, some British media outlets hold reservations about the practice of the state uniformly explaining and advocating patriotism.

此外，英国部分媒体对爱国主义持保留态度。例如，英国《卫报》评论人加里·杨格（Gary Younge）呼吁，对“作为一名英国人到底意味着什么”这一问题，我们需要靠自己来认识和解答，而不是依据官方给出的解释。他指出，关于英国人这一身份，我们关注的不是英国人是否具备聪明才智这些特征，而是应当关注他们为了平等和尊严而战斗的韧性。但是，通常来讲，爱国主义并不包含上述内容。相反，爱国主义是表达“对国家的奉献和大力支持”，对国旗、国歌和军事检阅等的敬畏总体而言，英国部分媒体对由国家统一解释和倡导爱国主义的做法持保留意见。

III. The Concept of Patriotism among Ordinary British People

三、英国普通民众的爱国主义观

For ordinary British people, patriotism is a relatively obscure topic. They rarely discuss or express patriotic sentiments publicly, nor do they treat patriotism as a sacred topic for discussion to regulate their words and actions. Nevertheless, ordinary British people still have their own unique ways of expressing patriotic sentiments, especially on specific occasions and at event milestones, such as the Football World Cup, the Olympic Games, and Armistice Day commemorations for the First World War, when their patriotic sentiments are aroused.

对于英国普通民众来说，爱国主义是一个较为隐晦的话题。他们很少公开谈论或表达爱国情感，也并不把爱国主义当作一个神圣的话题来讨论并以此规范自己的言行。虽然如此，英国普通民众仍然有着自己独特的表达爱国情感的方式，尤其是在一些特定的场合和事件节点，比如，在足球世界杯、奥运会、第一次世界大战停战纪念日等，他们的爱国情感会被激发。

Ordinary British people rarely express their patriotic sentiments openly in public. A 2018 survey showed that ordinary British people are increasingly afraid to express their patriotic sentiments in public for fear of being ridiculed or despised. Respondents admitted that the national or ethnic pride of the British people is declining day by day, especially among the younger generation, who increasingly disregard patriotism; their indifferent attitude towards patriotic sentiments has hit a historic low. About 79% of respondents acknowledged that they are patriotic to some extent; 22% of respondents indicated that they would feel very embarrassed if they expressed patriotic sentiments in public; some also admitted that they only truly reveal or display their patriotic sentiments when major national events arouse national or ethnic pride. In terms of age groups, older British people are more patriotic than the younger generation; about 40% of British people aged 55 and over described themselves as very patriotic, compared to 18% of those aged 18–24. The younger group believes that patriotism is not important in today’s society. Greg Tatton Brown, who was responsible for the survey, pointed out, “When people are in the current political and cultural environment, especially in the context of Brexit, publicly expressing pride in one’s country has become a gray area that no one wants to touch.”

英国普通民众较少在公共场合公开表达自己的爱国情感。2018年的一项调查显示，英国普通民众因为害怕被嘲弄或鄙视而越来越不敢在公共场合表达他们的爱国情感。受访者坦言，英国人的国家或民族自豪感正在日渐下降，尤其是年轻一代越来越不把爱国主义当一回事，他们对爱国情感的漠视态度创了历史新低。有约79%的受访者承认自己在一定程度上是爱国的；有22%的受访者表示，如果自己在公众场合表达爱国情感会感到很尴尬；有人还坦言，只有在国家重大事件激发国家或民族自豪感时，他们才会真正表露或展示自己的爱国情感。而从年龄段来看，年长的英国人要比年轻一代更爱国，约有40%的55岁及以上的英国人称自己非常爱国，而年龄在18岁~24岁之间的这一比例为18%。年轻群体认为，在现今社会爱国主义并不重要。负责这一调查的格雷格·塔顿·布朗（Greg Tatton Brown）指出，“当人们深处如今这种政治和文化环境，尤其是在面临英国脱欧的情况下，公开表达对自己国家的自豪感成了大家都不愿意触及的灰色地带”。

There exist regional and national differences in the identification of ordinary British people with the identity of “British person”. The United Kingdom is composed of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are differences in ethnicity, religion and other aspects among the regions, and the identity identification of the people is not uniform. For example, in 2002, a survey found that when British nationals were asked whether they considered themselves Welsh, English, Irish, or British, different regions gave different answers. In Wales, 80% (of those born in Wales) considered themselves Welsh rather than British; in England, the proportion (of those considering themselves English) was 15%. However, this difference was not initially very pronounced; it is related to the development of each region and the overall environment of the UK. Around the 1930s, for many British people, England and Britain (formally the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) referred to the same thing, and English people never needed to spend time explaining the difference between the two. This ambiguity of identity persisted until after the Second World War. Although differences exist on the issue of identity identification, this does not affect the sense of pride that people in each region feel toward the identity of “British person”. Surveys show that approximately 79% of respondents acknowledged that they are patriotic to some extent, and 90% of them feel proud of their birthplace. The latest research also indicates that over three-quarters of British ethnic minority groups and a roughly similar proportion of the British white population feel proud of their identity as British people. Moreover, this sense of pride is sometimes reflected in the public’s attitude toward the history of the British Empire. For a long time, Britain has found it difficult to evaluate the merits and demerits of its imperial period, but the British public mostly holds a positive attitude toward that period of history. In 2014, a survey by the polling organization YouGov showed that 59% of British people thought the British Empire was more a source of pride than shame (19% felt shame).

英国普通民众对“英国人”这一身份的认同存在地区和民族等差异。英国由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰四个部分组成，各地区之间存在民族和宗教等方面的差异，民众的身份认同不一。例如，2002年，有调查发现，当英国国民被问及自己是威尔士人、英格兰人、爱尔兰人，还是英国人（British）这一问题时，不同地区给出了不同回答。在威尔士，有80%（出生在威尔士）的人认为自己是威尔士人，而不是英国人；而在英格兰，这一比例（即认为自己是英格兰人）为15%。然而，这种差异并不是一开始就很显著，而是与各地区的发展和英国整体环境有关。在20世纪30年代前后，对很多英国人来说，英格兰和英国（全称为大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国）指代的是同一个意思，英格兰人从来都不需要花时间去解释这二者之间的区别。这种身份的模糊性一直持续到第二次世界大战后。虽然在身份认同问题上存在差异，但这并不影响各地区民众对“英国人”这一身份的自豪感。有调查显示，有约79%的受访者承认自己在一定程度上是爱国的，他们当中90%的人为自己的出生地感到骄傲和自豪。最新研究也表明，有超过3/4的英国少数族裔群体和差不多比例的英国白人群体对自己是英国人的身份感到骄傲和自豪。不仅如此，这种自豪感有时还体现在公众对英帝国这段历史的态度上。长期以来，英国一直难以评价其帝国时期的功过，但英国民众对帝国时期这段历史大多持积极态度。2014年，民调机构舆观（YouGov）的一项调查显示，有59%的英国民众认为大英帝国更值得为之骄傲，而不是为之感到羞愧（感到羞愧者的比例为19％）。

Furthermore, although ordinary British people express their patriotic feelings and identity identification in a relatively low-key manner, it is undeniable that they still consciously or unconsciously express and display their patriotic sentiments through specific carriers or forms, especially at particular times and on particular occasions. A media commentator once frankly stated, “Many of us actually love our country very much, but this patriotic feeling only shows itself at specific times.” For example, in the 1940s, the Second World War caused a surge in patriotic sentiment among the British people, who became unprecedentedly united. Surveys also show that many British people express their patriotic feelings more naturally during sporting events; the atmosphere of athletic competition and teamwork makes it easier for people to accept and confront their inner patriotic feelings. For instance, the 2012 London Olympics awakened the “dormant” patriotic feelings of the British people. At that time, nearly 27 million British people watched the opening ceremony, and BBC One, which broadcast the Olympic events, achieved very high ratings. Danny Cohen, the channel’s controller, said in an interview: “The BBC One broadcast of the Olympic opening ceremony brought our nation together in an unprecedented way at this great moment. It was truly inspiring to see such a huge audience watching last night’s ceremony.” In addition, the patriotic feelings of the British people are also embedded in daily life, reflected in specific feelings (fondness, pride) toward things with British characteristics or symbols, or in supporting British-made products or brands. A survey showed that among approximately 2,000 respondents, about 50% owned various items printed with the national flag pattern, 7% had the national flag, a patron saint, or other symbols of national significance as tattoo designs, and 48% hoped that their area of residence would fly the national flag.

此外，虽然英国普通民众在爱国情感和身份认同等方面表现得比较低调，但不可否认，他们仍然会自觉或不自觉地通过一些具体的载体或形式来表达和呈现其爱国主义情感，尤其是在特定的时间和场合。有媒体人就曾坦言，“我们很多人其实都很爱自己的国家，但这种爱国情感只会在特定时期显露”。比如，在20世纪40年代，第二次世界大战使得英国民众的爱国情绪高涨，人们空前团结。有调查也显示，很多英国人在体育赛事期间流露出的爱国情感更加自然，这种体育竞技和团队合作的氛围使得人们更容易接受和面对自己内心的爱国情感。比如，2012年伦敦奥运会激发了英国民众心中“沉睡”的爱国情感，当时有将近2700万英国民众观看了开幕式，承接此次奥运赛事转播的BBC第一频道创下了很高的收视率。该频道负责人丹尼·科恩（Danny Cohen）在接受采访时说：“BBC第一频道的奥运开幕式直播让我们国家在这个重大时刻空前团结起来，数量如此庞大的观众都在观看昨晚的开幕式，真是振奋人心。”此外，英国民众的爱国情感也蕴藏在日常生活中，体现在对具有英国特色或标志性的事物产生特定感情（喜爱、骄傲），或者支持英国国产的产品或品牌。有调查显示，在大约2000名受访者中，有50%左右的人持有印有本国国旗图案的各种物件，还有7%的人把国旗、主保圣人（patron saint）或其他带有国家象征意义的事物作为纹身图案，有48%的人希望自己生活的地区悬挂国旗。

The patriotic feelings of the British people are also embedded in their concern and anxiety about the future and destiny of the country. In peacetime, the emergence of patriotic feelings depends on internal unity and stability within the country. The current domestic situation in the UK is not optimistic, and especially after the 2017 general election, the national identity of the British people was greatly affected. Some scholars point out that in Northern Ireland, even unionists were deeply disappointed by the British Conservative Party’s Brexit measures. In fact, Brexit accelerated the tendency toward separatism among some domestic political parties and national groups. Gary Younge wrote, “We may be getting smaller and smaller.” Therefore, “from a pragmatic point of view, if I had shares in patriotism, I would sell, not buy.” The performance of the British government during the COVID-19 pandemic further stimulated people’s concern, even anxiety, about the future and destiny of the country. According to a report by the British Daily Mail on December 23, 2020, the well-known British polling organization JL Partners conducted an online survey on the theme “Which of the UK’s last eight prime ministers would you most want to solve the crisis facing the UK in 2020?” Approximately 2,000 respondents participated. The results showed that the highest level of support was for Margaret Thatcher (32%). In comparison, the British public felt very disappointed with the current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. As James Johnson, one of the founders of JL Partners, pointed out, “Britain’s current politicians have not made well-considered decisions, have not persisted in doing the right thing, and have not shouldered the responsibilities of leadership. In the last general election, many voters placed new hopes in Boris Johnson, seeing him as a leader who could change the status quo. Now, that hope has been dashed; in their eyes, Boris is weak, cowardly, and indecisive.” It is not difficult to see that the credibility of the current British government faces great challenges. The people are full of worry about the current state and future of British society, and instead hope that a decisive, tough, and pragmatic politician like Thatcher can change the fate of the UK.

英国民众的爱国情感也蕴藏在他们对国家前途和命运的关注及忧虑之中。在和平年代，爱国情感的产生有赖于国家内部的团结和稳定，而英国当前的国内情况并不乐观，尤其是2017年大选后，英国民众的国家认同感受到很大影响。有学者指出，在北爱尔兰，就连主张统合的人士也对英国保守党的脱欧举措倍感失望。事实上，英国脱欧加速了国内一些政党和民族独立的倾向，加里·杨格（Gary Younge）写道，“我们可能会变得越来越小”。因此，“从务实的角度出发，如果我拥有爱国主义的股份，那我会选择卖，而不是买”。英国政府在此次新冠肺炎疫情中的表现更是激发了民众对国家前途和命运的关注，甚至是忧虑。据英国《每日邮报》2020年12月23日报道，英国知名民调机构JL Partners进行了主题为“在英国前8任首相中希望谁来解决英国在2020年面临的危机”的在线调查，约有2000名受访者参与了调查。结果显示，呼声最高的是撒切尔（32%）。比较而言，英国民众对现任首相鲍里斯·约翰逊（Boris Johnson）感到非常失望。正如JL Partners的创始人之一詹姆士·约翰逊（James Johnson）指出的，“英国当下的政客们没有作出深思熟虑的决定，没有坚持做正确的事情，没有担当起领导者的责任。在上次大选中，许多选民对鲍里斯·约翰逊寄予了新的期望，认为他是一个能够改变现状的领导人。现今，这一希望落空了，鲍里斯在他们看来软弱怯懦、优柔寡断。”不难看出，英国现政府的公信力面临极大挑战，民众对英国社会的现状和未来充满了担忧，转而希望由像撒切尔这样果敢、强硬和办实事的政治家来改变英国的命运。

In summary, patriotism is a relatively controversial topic in the UK. Mainstream British politicians, scholars, and the general public hold different views and positions on patriotism: the British government and mainstream political circles place greater emphasis on cultivating citizens’ national identity and patriotic feelings; British scholars, media commentators, and others adopt a cautious attitude and view toward patriotism; although ordinary British people rarely express their patriotic feelings in public, these feelings are sometimes embedded in their concern and anxiety about the future and destiny of the country, and can also be aroused on specific occasions and at specific times.

总而言之，爱国主义在英国是一个比较有争议的话题，英国主流政治家、学者和普通大众等对爱国主义持有不同看法和立场：英国政府和主流政界较为重视培养国民的国家认同感和爱国情感；英国学者、媒体评论人等对爱国主义持谨慎的态度和看法；英国普通民众虽然很少在公开场合表达自己的爱国情感，但这种情感有时会蕴含在他们对国家前途和命运的关注与忧虑中，也会在特定场合和时间被激发。

(Author: Chen Dan, Lecturer, School of Marxism, Beihang University)

（作者：陈丹，北京航空航天大学马克思主义学院讲师）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心