India and Pakistan are at war – not the countries, but their citizens, their media, their social media users and their entertainment industries. In this environment, it is important to understand the meaning and evolution of words such as patriotism and nationalism, which are being used (or misused) for every debate for and against what is, at its core, an inter-state conflict.

Is patriotism merely one’s love for their country? Or does it need to have a more legal and political definition? And what is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?

In this episode of the Myth and Culture podcast, Devdutt Pattanaik and Jerry Johnson trace the the birth of patriotism and nationalism to approximately 300 years ago, with the emergence of nation-states. They stress the urgent need for healthy patriotism in the current context.