Biography:
Jason Cong LIN is "ZJU 100 Young Professor" and Director of Philosophy of Education Division in the Department of Education at the Zhejiang University. He holds a PhD from the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University. His research interests include philosophy of education, civic/moral/multicultural education, identity, and politics in education. He is the author of Multiculturalism, Chinese Identity, and Education: Who Are We? (Routledge, 2022). His research has been published in well-regarded journals, such as Globalisations, Societies and Education, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Educational Philosophy and Theory, and Studies in Philosophy and Education. He has co-edited a book about teacher education and written chapters in The Springer Encyclopedia of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Abstract: Patriotic education in China is a state project that serves the Chinese government. However, current discourse on Chinese patriotic education basically views inward and outward aspects of patriotism as separate and incompatible, which downplays the intricate relationship between them. Arguably, a more nuanced understanding of patriotism is needed to better explore patriotic education in the context of China. This paper begins by elaborating the differences between inward and outward patriotism as illustrated by Marianna Papastephanou’s Janus-faced nature of patriotism. It then proceeds to give background information on Chinese patriotic education and illustrate how inward patriotism has been intrinsic to patriotic education in China from its beginnings. The paper further reveals that outward patriotism has been increasingly emphasized in today’s China. Finally, it proposes that the risks and potentials of both inward and outward patriotism should be realized and given full consideration and explains how balanced patriotism can help accommodate diverse needs and make Chinese development more sustainable.