Exploring Patriotism in the Anthropocene

ABSTRACT Nationalism is often conflated with patriotism. However, the discussion about the Anthropocene and the permanent character of the social and ecological crises humanity faces, combined with the inability of liberal and technocratic elites to address them, has made patriotism and nationalism relevant again. This is especially true because nationalism and right‐wing populism are on the rise globally. In this article, I first establish the difference between nationalism and patriotism. I then argue for the importance of patriotism for democratic politics in the Anthropocene to envision a way out of the deadlock between technocratic management and right‐wing politics.