--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Patriotism is the last refuge of…" description: "\"Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.\" — William Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png" --- # Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels. ![“Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.” quote by William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png) > “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.” [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claims patriotism is a cover for immoral behavior, suggesting it can be misused to justify wrongdoing. **In simple terms:** Patriotism can hide unethical actions. Key Takeaway Question motives behind patriotic claims. Themes politics morality nationalism Mood critical provocative Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political speeches - public debates - educational curricula Key Concepts ethical philosophy political rhetoric social critique Questions to Reflect On - When is patriotism a positive force? - How can societies differentiate genuine love for country from manipulation? A Different Perspective Patriotism can also inspire genuine civic good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Refuge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuge/) [Scoundrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoundrels/) ## Related quotes > [I was only following orders," the Mayor mocks. "The refuge of scoundrels since the dawn of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/i-was-only-following-orders-the-mayor-mocks-the-refuge-of-scoundrels/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [When Dr. Johnson defined patriotism as the last refuge of a scoundrel, he ignored the enormous possibilities of the word reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roscoe-conkling/when-dr-johnson-defined-patriotism-as-the-last-refuge-of-a-scoundrel/) [Roscoe Conkling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roscoe-conkling/) > [What every Englishman thinks about patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/what-every-englishman-thinks-about-patriotism-the-last-refuge-of-a/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-to-which-a-scoundrel-clings/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Whether or not patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, national security can be the last refuge of the tyrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-walker-of-gestingthorpe-robert-walker/whether-or-not-patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-scoundrel/) Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe Robert Walker > [Religion is all-too-often a refuge for scoundrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/religion-is-all-too-often-a-refuge-for-scoundrels/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/historically-the-claim-of-consensus-has-been-the-first-refuge-of/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings steal a little and they throw you in jail. Steal a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/they-say-that-patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-to-which-a-scoundrel/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Patriotism is the last refuge of the sculptor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-sculptor/) [William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/) > [Those who believe patriotism to be the last refuge of the scoundrel have underestimated compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/those-who-believe-patriotism-to-be-the-last-refuge-of-the-scoundrel/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [I'm an advocate of the great Dr. Johnson, the English man of letters who said that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/i-m-an-advocate-of-the-great-dr-johnson-the-english-man-of-letters/) [George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/) > [Someone said that patriotism is the last refuge of cowards; those without moral principles usually wrap a flag around themselves, and those bastards always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/someone-said-that-patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-cowards-those/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [PATRIOTISM, n. 1) The inability to distinguish between the government and one's 'country'; 2) A highly praiseworthy virtue characterized by the desire to dominate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bufe/patriotism-n-1-the-inability-to-distinguish-between-the-government/) [Chaz Bufe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bufe/) > [I was instructed long ago by a wise editor, "If you understand something you can explain it so that almost anyone can understand it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-was-instructed-long-ago-by-a-wise-editor-if-you-understand/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Public office is the last refuge of the scoundrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boies-penrose/public-office-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-scoundrel/) Boies Penrose ## More by William Samuel Johnson > [I ... am endeavoring ... to attend to my own duty only as a Christian. ... let us take care that our Christianity, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/i-am-endeavoring-to-attend-to-my-own-duty-only-as-a-christian-let-us/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Your first great duties, you are sensible, are those you owe to Heaven, to your Creator and Redeemer. Let these be ever present to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/your-first-great-duties-you-are-sensible-are-those-you-owe-to-heaven/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [It seems to be the fate of man to seek all his consolations in futurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/it-seems-to-be-the-fate-of-man-to-seek-all-his-consolations-in-2/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [To keep your secret is wisdom; to expect others to keep it is folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/to-keep-your-secret-is-wisdom-to-expect-others-to-keep-it-is-folly/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/he-knows-not-his-own-strength-who-hath-not-met-adversity/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [ Remember...that you are redeemed of the Lord \[Ephesians 1:7\]-that you are bought with a price \[1 Corinthians 6:20\], even the inestimable price of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/remember-that-you-are-redeemed-of-the-lord-ephesians-1-7-that-you-are/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Make Him your friend and protector and your felicity is secured both here and hereafter. And with respect to particular duties to Him, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/make-him-your-friend-and-protector-and-your-felicity-is-secured-both/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [Imprint deep upon your minds the principles of piety towards God, and a reverence and fear of His holy name. The fear of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/imprint-deep-upon-your-minds-the-principles-of-piety-towards-god-and/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) > [You this day, gentlemen, assume new characters, enter into new relations, and consequently incur new duties. You have, by the favor of Providence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/you-this-day-gentlemen-assume-new-characters-enter-into-new-relations/) [William Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 10 William Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/) ## More Patriotism quotes > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/) [Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I am not a nationalist in any way, and I hate flag waving, and I don't think much good has come out of nationalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-am-not-a-nationalist-in-any-way-and-i-hate-flag-waving-and-i-don-t/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Patriotism is a fierce love for the nation’s soul - its land, its people, its core, coupled with a burning contempt for a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/njau-kihia/patriotism-is-a-fierce-love-for-the-nation-s-soul-its-land-its-people/) Njau Kihia > [There is no patriotic art and no patriotic science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/there-is-no-patriotic-art-and-no-patriotic-science/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Cricket, politics, and cinema is what a majority in our country are most passionate about. They have the power to divide the best of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-deverakonda/cricket-politics-and-cinema-is-what-a-majority-in-our-country-are/) [Vijay Deverakonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-deverakonda/) > [“A man full of warm, speculative benevolence may wish his society otherwise constituted than he finds it; but a good patriot, and a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-man-full-of-warm-speculative-benevolence-may-wish-his-society/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I will do everything I can always for my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-massa/i-will-do-everything-i-can-always-for-my-country/) [Felipe Massa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-massa/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) [Browse all 5,882 Patriotism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundrels/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Patriotism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundrels/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/william-samuel-johnson-42151_patriotism_patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundr_1747973.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.” — William Samuel Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Patriotism is the last refuge of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundrels/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-samuel-johnson/patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-scoundrels/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```