"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles"

George Jean Nathan’s observation highlights the often unquestioned elevation of territory or land, what he terms “real estate”, over deeper moral or ethical values. He implies that the fervor people express as patriotism frequently lacks a critical foundation in principle or reasoned conviction. Instead, it resembles an inherited or conditioned reverence, attached not to the ideals a country claims to represent but to its geographical boundaries and the accident of birthplace. The use of the word “arbitrary” suggests that this devotion is rooted less in rational examination and more in emotional habit or social pressure.

The perspective Nathan offers challenges the tendency to conflate love of country with support for government policies or national myths, regardless of their ethical standing. True principles, justice, liberty, equality, transcend frontiers and ethnicities. When citizens venerate their nation’s soil above these concepts, they risk excusing or ignoring injustices committed in the nation’s name, simply because they occur within a familiar landscape. Nathan’s critique implies that the mere elevation of territory over values can turn patriotism into a shield for unexamined loyalty, lacking critical thought or a commitment to the universal values that ideally underpin genuine national identity.

Nathan forces readers to consider why and how they cherish their homeland. Is it out of engagement with the ideals their nation strives toward, or is it simple attachment to a flag and a patch of earth because of birth or tradition? If patriotism is not anchored in principle, it may devolve into exclusion, xenophobia, or even conflict. The implication is that authentic love of country should emerge from the pursuit of common human values reflected in a nation’s actions and aspirations, not from a blind or uncritical veneration of its land, customs, or symbols. By shifting the focus from land to principles, Nathan calls for a higher, more responsible form of civic devotion.