Discussion about Patriots and Patriotism in Britain in the 1760s–1770s

Abstract

The article studies the history of the notions of “patriot” and “patriotism” in the political and social life of 18th-century Britain. The methodology of research is based on the approach of the Cambridge School of the history of political thought, consisting in the analysis of certain notions in the context of the epoch. The material of the paper is pamphlets of John Wilkes, and his main opponent Samuel Johnson as well as some anonymous journalistic essays. The paper focuses on the problem of interpretation of “patriot” and “patriotism” as notions by followers of different political views. John Wilkes acted as a “patriot”, supposing that it implied opposition to power until the “natural” rights and liberties of Englishmen were restored. Another understan-ding is reflected in Doctor Johnson’s and his supporters’ pamphlets. According to them, a patriot is “he whose public conduct is regulated by one single motive, the love of his country”. The author comes to the conclusion about Samuel Johnson’s victory in the discussion, because he took the notion of “patriot” beyond the limits of political space. Moreover, the discussion about “false” and “true” patriotism indicated the formation of the public sphere and civil society in England of the 1760s–1770s.

Keywords

• Британия XVIII в.
• эпоха Георга III
• патриотизм, «Северный британец»
• Джон Уилкс
• Сэмюэл Джонсон.