This article attempts to analyze the idea of national identity and the debate around this issue in Taiwan from the perspective of political philosophy. I Contend that cultural nationalism and constitutional patriotism are the two prototypes of nation-buliding. The former emphasizes affective solidarity, while the latter highlights the importance of constitutional order in cultivation rational civic consciousness. Recent developments in contemporary political philosophy in the writings of Charles Taylor, Jürgen Habermas, and John Rawls illustrate the relevance of this distinction. I also contend that the mobilization momentum of the opposition movement in Taiwan before the lifting of martial laws originated from the subtle synthesis of cultural nationalism and democratization. This synthesis comes to a halt when president lee Teng-hui's Machiavellianism disentangles these two prototypes and crafting his populist authoritarian rule.