George Berkeley: Forging the Irish Nation

Abstract

In his political and economic writings George Berkeley presented a concept of ‘true patriotism’. The concept was not based on political views, economic interests, social status, cultural ties or on any commitment to a particular Christian denomination. ‘A true patriotism’ was not created in opposition to the ‘alien’ nor did it aim at its destruction. ‘A true patriotism’ was of a universal character, it applied to the Irish, English or Scots alike. In fact, it applied to any people that accepted the Christian religion and its moral principles. Berkeley perceived a nation as an entity, not as various groups or classes competing with each other for power or wealth. ‘A true patriotism’ was a gift from God and it was also practical in the sense that it sought a safe and prosperous life for the largest possible number of people. Berkeley’s concept of ‘a true patriotism’ should be considered in a wider context, and as one of the battlegrounds between Berkeley and freethinkers. Berkeley provided an alternative, even if somewhat utopian, concept of patriotism and the Irish nation compared to the concept that eventually prevailed and that far too often degenerated into xenophobia, being one of the main causes of bloody conflicts, including conflicts in Ireland.