A Study on American Individualism美国个人主义 英文论文.docx

A Study on American Individualism美国个人主义 英文论文.docx

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AStudyonAmericanIndividualism美国个人主义英文论文

AStudyonAmericanIndividualism

IIntroduction

IndividualismistheverycoreofAmericancultureandthemainvalueinAmerica.Wecansaythatindividualismhasbeeninfluencingallthefieldsofpolitics,economicsandsociety,eventhecharacterofthenation.Theself--reliance,Individualfreedom,equalcompetitionwhichareemphasizedisdifferentfromtheconceptofindividualisminChina.Individualismisawesternconcept,andtheorigincanbetracedbacktotheperiodofRenaissanceandtheProtestantReformation.IntheperiodofimmigrationandWestwardmovement,Individualismwasintensified.Althoughoverself--centeredcanbringnegativeeffect,fromthewholehistoricalpointofview,thereisnobigsocialeventswhichviolatethestablesituation,thisisbecausetheconceptofcommitmenthasbeenintheheartofAmericansforalongtime.

Individualismsuppliedthenationwitharationalizationofitscharacteristicattitudes,behaviorpatternsandaspirations.Itendowedthepast,thepresentandthefuturewiththeperspectiveofunityandprogress.Itexplainedthepeculiarsocialandpoliticalorganizationofthenation—unityinspiteofheterogeneityanditpointedtowardanidealsocialorganizationinharmonywithAmericanexperience.Aboveall,individualismexpressedastheuniversalismandidealismmostcharacteristicofthenationalconsciousness.Thisconceptevolvedincontradistinctiontosocialism,theuniversalandmessianiccharacterofwhichitshared.Individualism,theloveofenterprise,andtheprideinpersonalfreedomhavebeendeemedbyAmericansnotonlytheirchoicest,buttheirpeculiarandexclusivepossession.Individualism,theloveofenterprise,andtheprideinpersonalfreedomhavebeendeemedbyAmericansnotonlytheirchoicest,buttheirpeculiarandexclusivepossession.

Individualismisperhapstheprimaryconceptthat,transcendingsuchcategoriesasrace,gender,class,ageandregion,unitesAmericansacrosstimeandspacetogivecoherencetothenationalexperience.Fromtheearliestbeginningsoftherepublictothepost-modernistpresent,therightsoftheindividualcitizenandhisorherplaceintheschemeofthingshasbeenofprimaryimportancetoAmericanphilosophers,artists,politicaltheorists,theologiansandothersconcernedwitharticulatingnationalvaluesandprinciples.Communitarianideasrisefromtimetotimetochallengeindividualism,butnonehaveyetbeensuccessfulinseriouslyweakeningitsholdonAmericanculture.IncorporatedintoAmerican"common-sensethinking,"thephilosophyofindividualismbecomesinthepopularmindtheveryessenceofwhatbeinganAmericanmeans.InthiscoursewewillexaminewithacriticaleyethephilosophicalbasisandsocialconsequencesoftheprimacyoftheindividualinAmericanintellectual,legal,andpoliticaltraditions.

Therearefivepartsofthispaper.Thefirstpartisthebriefintroductionofthepaper,mainlyintroducetheimportantpositionofAmericanIndividualisminAmerican.ThesecondpartsummarizetheIndividualism,includingorigin,development,evolvementandthedevelopmentfundemental.Thethirdpartisthemostvitalone,inthischapter,thispapertalkabouttheperformanceofAmericanIndividualisminvariousareas.ThefourthpartistheevaluationofIndividualismandtheconclusionofthewholepaper.

IIOntheTerm——AmericanIndividualism

2.1ConceptoftheIndividualism

Beliefintheprimaryimportanceoftheindividualandinthevirtuesofself-relianceandpersonalindependence.Individualismisthemoralstance,politicalphilosophy,ideology,orsocialoutlookthatstresses"themoralworthoftheindividual".Individualistspromotetheexerciseofone'sgoalsanddesiresandsoindependenceandself-reliancewhileopposingmostexternalinterferenceuponone'sowninterests,whetherbysociety,oranyothergrouporinstitution.

Individualismmakestheindividualitsfocusandsoitstarts"withthefundamentalpremisethatthehumanindividualisofprimaryimportanceinthestruggleforliberation."Naturalrightsandfreedomarethesubstanceofthesetheories.Classicalliberalism（includinglibertarianism）,existentialismandindividualistanarchismareexamplesofmovementsthattakethehumanindividualasacentralunitofanalysis.

Ithasalsobeenusedasatermdenoting"Thequalityofbeinganindividual;individuality"relatedtopossessing"Anindividualcharacteristic;aquirk."Individualismisthusalsoassociatedwithartisticandbohemianinterestsandlifestyleswherethereisatendencytowardsselfcreationandexperimentationasopposedtotraditionorpopularmassopinionsandbehaviorsassoalsowithhumanistphilosophicalpositionsandethics.

Individualismencompassesavaluesystem,atheoryofhumannature,andabeliefincertainpolitical,economic,social,andreligiousarrangements.Accordingtotheindividualist,allvaluesarehuman-centred,theindividualisofsupremeimportance,andallindividualsaremorallyequal.Individualismplacesgreatvalueonself-reliance,onprivacy,andonmutualrespect.Negatively,itembracesoppositiontoauthorityandtoallmannerofcontrolsovertheindividual,especiallywhenexercisedbythestate.Asatheoryofhumannature,individualismholdsthattheinterestsofthenormaladultarebestservedbyallowinghimmaximumfreedomandresponsibilityforchoosinghisobjectivesandthemeansforobtainingthem.Theinstitutionalembodimentofindividualismfollowsfromtheseprinciples.

2.1.1TheMisconceptionofIndividualism

Isolation

Thefirstmisconceptionisthatindividualismmeansisolation---beingalone,beingoutsidesociety.Thismisconceptionisreflectedinthepopularimagesof“individualism”,imagesthatstressbeingisolated,suchasthoseofthelonecowboy,thefearlessgumshoe,andtheisolatedprairiefamily.Suchimagescanbeexcitingandheroic,butisolationisnottheessenceofindividualism.

Infact,theconceptofindividualismdoesnotmakesenseintheabsenceofotherhumanbeings.Individualismiscalled“individualism”notbecauseitexhortstheindividualtoseekalifeapartfromothers,butbecauseitassertsthattheindividual,andnotthegroup,istheprimaryconstituentofsociety.Thebeliefthatindividualismmeansbeingaloneleadspeopletosaythatindividualismisincompatiblewithcooperation.Ifoneistoomuchofan“individualist”,peoplesay,onecannot“getalongwithgroups”,oneisnotagood“teamplayer”.Actually,apersonwhodoesn'tlistentoothers,thepersonwhowouldratherdothingsaninefficientwayaslongasit's“myway”,isnotbeingan“individualist”---he'sbeingclosedminded.Atrueindividualistwantsthebestforhimself,soheseeksoutthebest,nomaterwhoisthesource.Totheindividualist,thetruthismoreimportantthananyauthority,includinghimself.Livinginsociety,cooperatingwithotherpeople---thesearetremendousbenefits.Individualismdoesnotdenythis.Butnotallarrangementsoflivingandworkingwithothermenarebeneficialtotheindividual;thearrangementfacedbyAmericanslavesisoneexample.Individualismisatheoryoftheconditionsunderwhichlivingandworkingwithothersis,infact,beneficial.

Balance

Anotherwidespreadmisconceptionaboutindividualismisthatitcansomehowbemixedwithortemperedbycollectivism.Inthisview,neither“extreme”individualismnor“extreme”collectivismarecorrect.Rather,wisdomandtruthliesomewhereinthemiddle.Individualismandcollectivismarecontradictorypositions---thereisnomiddlegroundbetweenthem.Collectivismmaintainsthatthegroupisanentityinitsownright,athingthatcanactuponpeople.Individualismdeniesthis.Collectivismseesusbeinginfluencedbythegroup;individualismseesusbeinginfluencedbyotherindividuals.Collectivismseesuscooperatingwiththeteam;individualism,withotherpeople.Collectivismseesusbuildingontheideasandachievementsofsociety;individualism,ontheideasandachievementsofindividuals.Thesearecontradictorypositions;it'seither-or.Toacceptthe“balance”pointofviewistoacceptcollectivism.Nocollectivisthaseversaidthateverysingleneedofeveryindividualmustbefrustratedforthesakeofthesociety---ifso,therewouldn'tbeanysocietylefttoserve.Collectivismisthebalancepointofview;itisamatteroffine-tuninghereandthere,constrainingindividualswhentheirinterestsgetoutoflinewiththe“goodofsociety”.Indeed,themaindebatebetweenthe“left”andthe“right”todayisnotadebateovercollectivismandindividualism---itsadebateovertwoformsofcollectivism.The“left”holdsthattheneedsofsocietylieinthematerialisticrealm,sotheyareintoregulatingthataspectofindividualaffairs.The“right”holdsthattheneedsofsocietylieinthespiritualrealm,sotheyareintoregulatingthespiritualaspectofindividualaffairs.

2.1.2TheConceptionofAmericanIndividualism

TheembodimentofAmericanIndividualismcanbedepictedinfouraspects,fromwhichweputemphasisonthereofthem.

Self-reliance

OneofthemostattractivecharactersofmostAmericanpeopleistheirself-reliance,whichisgenerallyconsideredasthebasicofindividualfreedom,anotheressentialcharacterofindividualismofAmerica.ChildrenintheUnitedStates,aslongastheyare18-yearold,havetoearntheirdailybreadbythemselves,whileseniorcitizensarealsoquiteusedtolivingaloneinsteadofsharingthesameceilingwiththeirchildren.Nowonderthatwemayhearpeoplealwayssay‘Thanks,butIcanmanageitthroughoutthecountryintheAmerica.

IndividualFreedom

MuchunliketheEuropeans’thoughtson‘free