Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

Samuel Johnson was a curious man. One of his greatest innovations was to include plenty of illustrative literary quotations to show how words were used. He was, though, a strange fellow. He collected orange peel, but refused to tell anyone — even his trusty biographer, James Boswell — what he was doing with it all.

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Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

Samuel Johnson 18 September [ O. Johnson was known as a staunch Tory or was thought not to be active within politics; his political writings were subsequently disregarded and neglected. Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is partly to blame. Boswell did not meet Johnson until later in life and was unable to discuss how politics affected Johnson during his early years. Two periods, Robert Walpole 's control over British Parliament and the Seven Years' War , were Johnson's most active periods and are the source for much of his early writings. Although Boswell was present with Johnson during the s and described four major pamphlets written by Johnson, he neglected to discuss them because he is more interested in their travels to Scotland. That is compounded by the fact that Boswell held an opinion contradictory to two of the pamphlets, The False Alarm and Taxation No Tyranny , and so he attacked Johnson's views in his biography [1] —including Johnson's attacks on slavery. Boswell was not the only reason for Johnson to be disregarded as a political thinker. Thomas Babington Macaulay tried to promote the belief that Johnson's political thoughts were nonsensical and the writings of a bigot. In , he printed The Patriot , a critique of what he viewed as false patriotism. On the evening of 7 April , he made a famous statement: "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. Johnson opposed most "self-professed patriots" in general but valued what he considered "true" patriotism. The last of the pamphlets, Taxation No Tyranny , was a defence of the Coercive Acts and a response to the Declaration of Rights of the First Continental Congress of America, which protested against taxation without representation. In a parody of the Declaration of Rights, Johnson suggested that the Americans had no more right to govern themselves than the Cornish people.

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Samuel Johnson? James Boswell? Samuel Maunder? Henry F. Bernard J.

Samuel Johnson was a curious man. One of his greatest innovations was to include plenty of illustrative literary quotations to show how words were used. He was, though, a strange fellow. He collected orange peel, but refused to tell anyone — even his trusty biographer, James Boswell — what he was doing with it all. He also reportedly liked to drink up to 25 cups of tea in one sitting. This line is often interpreted as being a denunciation of patriotism per se , and has frequently been used by people who wish to dismiss any form of national pride. Using the authority of Johnson and his weighty apophthegm is simply a way to prop up this rather simplistic view. That may not make any significant difference to the meaning, but the context does shed a different light on what Johnson meant:. Boswell tells us that Samuel Johnson made this famous pronouncement that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel on the evening of April 7,

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

The quote "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" by Samuel Johnson is a thought-provoking statement that calls into question the sincerity and motives of those who use patriotism as a shield for their questionable actions. At first glance, it may appear to be a simple observation about the darker side of human nature. However, delving deeper into its meaning, we can explore an unexpected philosophical concept - the interconnectedness of virtues and vices.

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That is compounded by the fact that Boswell held an opinion contradictory to two of the pamphlets, The False Alarm and Taxation No Tyranny , and so he attacked Johnson's views in his biography [1] —including Johnson's attacks on slavery. Nov 02, AM. Ray 2, books view quotes. If the Americans wanted to participate in Parliament, Johnson said that they could move to England and purchase an estate. Imogen books view quotes. Priya 3, books view quotes. Samuel Maunder? Olga 0 books view quotes. William Pitt the Elder — who would later become Prime Minister himself — became a prominent member of the Patriot Party. Apr 15, PM.

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Juan Manuel books view quotes. Oct 14, AM. Alba books view quotes. Priya 3, books view quotes. Johnson was a devout conservative Protestant Anglican and believed in a unity between the High Church and the Crown the State. Mason of Garden City, delivered at … Continue reading We have met on a day dedicated forever to celebrating and inculcating patriotism. Boswell was not the only reason for Johnson to be disregarded as a political thinker. Jitin books view quotes. Dec 13, AM. Oct 12, PM. Patriotism is the first refuge of a scoundrel. Matthew 1, books view quotes. WarhamsterInvictus books view quotes.