读书笔记.docx

读书笔记.docx

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读书笔记

1.AmericanIndividualFreedomandSelf-Reliance个人自由与自力更生

TheearliestsettlerscometotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexitedinEuropeansocieties.TheywantedtoescapethecontrolsplacedontheirlivesbyKingsandgovernments,priestsandchurches,noblemenandaristocrats.Toagreatextent,theysucceeded.In1776,theBritishcolonialsettlersdeclaredtheirindependencefromEnglandandestablishedanewnation,theUnitedStates,theUnitedStatesofAmerican.Insodoing,theyoverthrowtheKingofEnglandanddeclaredthatthepowertotheKings.In1789,whentheywrotetheConstitutionfortheirnewnation,theyseparatedchurchandstatesothattherewouldneverbeagovernment-supportedchurch.Thisgreatlylimitedthepowerofthechurch.Also,inwritingtheConstitution,theyexpresslyforbadetitleofnobilitytoensurethatanaristocraticsocietywouldnotdevelop.Therewouldbenorulingclassofnobilityinthenewnation.

ThehistoricdecisionsmadebythosefirstsettlershavehadaprofoundeffectontheshapingoftheAmericancharacter.Bylimitingthepowerofthegovernmentandthechurchesandeliminatingaformalaristocracy,theycrestedaclimateoffreedomwheretheemphasiswasontheindividual.TheUnitedStatescametobeassociatedintheirmindswiththeconceptofindividualfreedom.ThisisprobablythemostbasesofalltheAmericanvalues.Scholarsandoutsideobserversoftencallthisvalueindividualism,butmanyAmericansusethewordfreedom.PerhapsthewordfreedomisoneoftherespectedpopularwordsintheUnitedStatestoday.

Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthority.Thedesiretobefreeofcontrolswasabasicvalueofthenewnationin1776,andithascontinuedtoattractimmigrantstothiscountry.

Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:

self-reliance.Individualsmustlearntorelyonthemselvesorrisklosingfreedom.Thismeansachievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallyby18to21.ItmeansthatAmericanbelievetheyshouldtakecareofthemselves,solvetheirownproblems,and“standontheirowntwofeet”.

Thisstrongbeliefinself-reliancecontinuestodayasatraditionalbasicAmericanvalue.ItisperhapsoneofthemostdifficultaspectsoftheAmericancharactertounderstand,butitisprofoundlyimportant.MostAmericanbelievethattheymustbeself-reliantinordertokeeptheirfreedom.Iftheyrelytoomuchonthesupportoftheirfamiliesorthegovernmentoranyorganization,theymaylosesomeoftheirfreedomtodowhattheywant.

Iftheyaredependence,theyriskinglosingfreedomaswellastherespectoftheirpeers.Eventheyarenottrulyself-reliant,mostAmericansbelievethattheymustatleastappeartobeso.InordertobeinthemainstreamofAmericanlife—tohavepowerandrespect—individualsmustbeseenasself-reliant.Althoughreceivingfinancialsupportfromcharity,family,orthegovernmentisallowed,itisneveradmired.Manypeoplebelievethemthatsuchindividualsaresettingabadexample,whichmayweakentheAmericanasawhole.

Thesightofbaggersoncitystreetsandtheplightofthehomelessmayinspiresympathybutalsoconcern.AlthoughAmericansprovidealotoffinancialsupporttopeopleinneedthroughcharitiesorgovernmentprograms,theyexpectthathelptobeshort-lived.Eventually,peopleshouldtakecareofthemselves.

2.EqualityofOpportunityandCompetition机会均等与公平竞争

ThesecondimportantreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallybeendrawntotheUnitedStatesisthebeliefthateveryonehasachancetosucceedhere.Generationsofimmigrants,fromtheearliestsettlerstothepresentday,havecometotheUnitedStateswiththisexpectation.Theyhavefeltthatbecauseindividualsarefreefromexcessivepolitical,religion,andsocialcontrols,theyhaveabetterchanceforpersonalsuccess.

BecausetitlesofnobilitywereforbiddenintheConstitution,noformalclasssystemdevelopedintheUnitedStates.IntheearlyyearsofAmericanhistory,manyimmigrantschosetoleavetheolderEuropeansocietiesbecausetheybelievedthattheyhadabetterchancetosucceedinAmerican.In“theoldcounty”,theirplaceinlifewasdeterminedlargelybythesocialclassintowhichtheywereborn.Theyknewthattheywouldnothavetoliveamongnoblefamilieswhopossessedgreatpowerandaccumulatedoverhundredsofyears.

Thehopesanddreamsofmanyoftheseearlyimmigrantswerefulfilledintheirnewcountry.Thelowersocialclassintowhichmanywereborndidnotpreventthemtryingtorisetoahighersocialposition.Manyfoundthattheydidindeedhaveabetterchancetosucceeded,Americanscametobelieveinequalityofopportunity.WhendeTocquevillevisitedtheUnitedStatesinthe1980s,hewasimpressedbythegreatuniformityofconditionsoflifeinthenewnation.Hewrote:

“ThemoreIadvancedinthestudyofAmericansociety,themoreIperceivedthatequalityofconditionitthefundamentalfactfromwhichallotherseemtobederivde”

ItisimportanttounderstandwhatmostAmericanmeanwhentheysaytheybelieveinequalityofopportunity.Theydonotmeanthateveryoneis-orshouldbe-equal.However,theydomeanthateachindividualshouldhaveanequalchanceforsuccess.Americansseemuchoflifeasaraceforsuccess.Forthem,equalitymeansthateveryoneshouldhaveanchancetoentertheraceandwin.Inotherwords,equalityofopportunitymaybethoughtofasanethicalrule.Ithelpsensurethattheraceforsuccessisafaironeandapersondoesnotwinjustbecauseheorshebornintoawealthyfamily,orlosebecauseofraceorreligion.ThisAmericanconceptof“fairplay”isanimportantaspectofthebeliefinequalityofopportunity.PresidentAbrahamLincolnexpressedthisbeliefin1986swhenhesaid:

“We````wishtoallowthehumblestmananchancetogetrichwitheverybodyelse.Whenonestartpoor,asmostdointheraceoflife,freesocietyissuchthatheknowshecanbetterhiscondition;heknowsthatthereisnofixedconditionoflaborforhiswholelife”.

Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisequalityofopportunity:

competition.Ifmuchoflifeasarace,thenapersonmustruntheraceinordertosucceed;apersonmustcompetewithothers.IfeverypersonhasanequalchancetosucceedintheunitedStates,thenitiseveryperson’sdutytotry.Americansmatchthatoftheirenergyandintelligenceagainstthatofothersarehonoredbybeingcalledlosers.ThisisespeciallytrueforAmericanmen,anditisbecomingmoreandmoretrueforwomen.

ThepressuresofcompetitioninthelifeofanAmericanbegininchildhoodandcontinueuntilretirementfromwork.LeaningtocompetesuccessfullyispartofgrowingupintheunitedStates,andcompetitionisencouragedbystrongprogramsofcompetitivesportsprovidedbythepublicschoolsandcommunitygroups.

ThepressureofcompetecausesAmericantobeenergetic,butitalsoplacesaconstantemotionalstrainonthem.Whentheyretire,theyareatlastfreefromthepressureofcompetition.Butthenanewproblemarises.Theymayfeeluselessandunwantedinasocietythatgivessomuchprestigetothosewhocompetewell.ThisisonereasonwhyolderpeopleintheUnitedStatesdonothavemuchhonorandrespectastheyhaveinother,lesscompetitivesocieties.Infact,anygroupofpeoplewhodonotcompetesuccessfullyforwhateverreasondonotfitintothemainstreamofAmericanlifeaswellasthosewhodocompete.

3.MaterialwealthandHardwork物质财富与勤奋工作

ThethirdimportantreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallycometotheUnitedStatesisthebeliefthateveryonehasachancetosucceedhere,tohaveabetterlife.thatis,toraisetheirstandardofliving.Generationsofimmigrants,fromtheearliestsettlerstothepresentday,havecometotheUnitedStateswiththisexpectation.Theyhavefeltthatbecauseindividualsarefreefromexcessivepolitical,religion,andsocialcontrols,theyhaveabetterchanceforpersonalsuccess.Forthevastmajorityoftheimmigrantwhocamehere,itwasprobablythemostcompellingreasonforleavingtheirhomeland.Becauseofitsincrediblyabundantofnaturalresources,theUnitedStatesappearedtobea“landofplenty”wheremillionscouldseektheirfortunes.Ofcourse,mostimmigrantsdidnot“getrichovernight”,andmanyofthemsufferedterribly,butthemajoritythemwereeventuallyabletoimproveontheirformerstandardofliving.Evenifpeoplewerenotabletoachievetheeconomicsuccesstheywanted,theycouldfairlycontainthattheirchildrenwouldhavetheopportunityforabetterlife.Theyachievedmaterialsuccess;theybecameveryattachedtomaterialthings.MaterialwealthbecameavaluetotheAmericanpeople.

Placingahighvaluematerialpossessioniscalledmaterialism,butthisisawordthatmostAmericanfindoffensive.Tosaythatapersonismaterialisticinaninsult.Infact,mostAmericandoeshaveothervaluesandideals.Nevertheless,acquiringandmaintainingalargenumberofmaterialpossessionsareofgreatimportancetomostAmericans.Whyisthisso?

ProbablythemainreasonisthatmaterialwealthhastraditionallybeenawidelyacceptedmeasureofsocialstatusintheUnitedStates.BecauseAmericansrejectedtheEuropeansystemofhereditaryaristocracyandtitlesofnobility,theyhadtofindasubstituteforjudgingsocialstatus.Thequalityandquantityofanindividual’smaterialpossessionbecauseanacc