The Virtue of Nationalism

By: Yoram Hazony

Narrated by: JD Zimmer

In the updated edition of this “tour de force” (National Review), the leader of the National Conservatism movement argues that nationalism is the only realistic safeguard of liberty in the world today

Nationalism is the issue of our age. From Donald Trump’s “America First” politics to Brexit to the rise of the right in Europe, events have forced a crucial debate: Is international government the path to human flourishing? Or will humankind be freer and happier in a world of independent self-governing nations?

In The Virtue of Nationalism, Yoram Hazony contends that a world of sovereign nations is the only option for those who care about personal and collective freedom. He demonstrates that, beginning in the sixteenth century, English, French, Dutch, and American Christians embraced the Old Testament’s vision of national independence, a vision that eventually brought freedom to peoples from Poland and India to Israel and Ethiopia. International events since the book’s original publication have made it timelier than ever. This updated paperback edition features a new preface and afterword by the author.

Critic reviews

"A new book that will become a classic.... Yoram Hazony has written a magnificent affirmation of democratic nationalism and sovereignty. The book is a tour de force that has the potential to significantly shape the debate between the supporters of supranational globalism and those of national-state democracy."—National Review

"One of the most important books on one of the most important controversies of our time."—New Criterion

"[Hazony] cogently argues in the book that anyone who values his freedom should reject universalism and fight for a future of nations... [an] excellent book."—City Journal

"Hazony is both erudite and well reasoned."—American Conservative

"The Virtue of Nationalism is a brilliant achievement, at once learned and sharp, philosophical and politically engaged."—Jewish Review of Books

"A concise, thoughtful, strongly put case that resurgent nationalism is reason not for concern but for relief."—New York Sun

"Hazony presents a vigorous case for nationalism and its virtues."—National Interest

"The catastrophic failure of the liberal program opens the way for a new kind of political thinking, and Hazony offers a timely contribution to the debate."—Tablet

"Important.... Hazony continues to do a service in reviving the theory of nationalism at a moment when its empirical manifestations have become impossible to ignore. He also presents a model of engaged political philosophy--learned yet accessible, spirited but not excessively hostile."—Modern Age

"A thought-provoking book."—Publishers Weekly

"In an era when the word 'nationalism' falls on many ears as an insult and condemnation, Yoram Hazony recalls the ancient, essential, and even noble origins of the nation. I expect and hope this provocative and deeply learned book will incite fierce debate, but the depth and persuasiveness of its defense of the virtue of nations will demand engagement by every reader concerned with serious political ideas. Hazony masterfully blends a deep grasp of history, political philosophy, theology, and common sense with originality and clarity in what will be one of the most-discussed books of this dawning new age of the nation."—Patrick Deneen, professor of political science, University of Notre Dame, and author of Why Liberalism Failed

"In this engaging and deeply learned book, Yoram Hazony explores the religious and historical roots of nationalism, illuminates its modern accomplishments, and thereby offers a uniquely insightful guide to the forces transforming the politics of the West."—Yuval Levin, editor of National Affairs and author of The Fractured Republic