TheEssenceofAmericanCulture.docx

TheEssenceofAmericanCulture.docx

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TheEssenceofAmericanCulture

TheEssenceofAmericanCulture——Individualism

I.Introduction

IndividualismistheverycoreofAmericanculture.ItplaysasignificantroleinthedevelopmentofAmericanhistory.WecansaythatindividualismhasbeeninfluencingallthefieldsofAmericansociety,eventhecharacterofthenation.TheUnitedStatesisregardedasthecradleofthetrendofindividualism.Americanswhobelieveinindividualismholdthattheyneedtothinkforthemselves,judgeforthemselves,andmaketheirowndecisions.Suchfolksthinkthattheyowenomananythingandhardlyexpectanythingfromothers.What’smore,theyimaginethattheirdestinationsareintheirownhandswhilenobodyelsecanmakemuchdifference.Thespiritssuchasself-reliance,individualfreedom,hardworkandequalcompetitionaredevelopedandintensifiedintheUnitedStates.Individualismissodeeplyrootedinpeople’sheartthatitpermeateseveryaspectofAmericansocietyandisembodieddirectlyinAmericandailylife,education,familyandsoon.

II.DefinitionandcharacteristicsofindividualisminAmericanculture

A.Definitionofindividualism

Individualismisakindofconceptofvalueandideologicalsystem,asanoutcomeofwesterncapitalism,togetherwithself-interestandsatisfaction.Itemphasizestheinitiativetosatisfyandcarryoutpersonaldesiresandrequests.

Infact,theword“Individualism”wascreatedbyTocqueville,aFrenchsocialistandfirstusedinthebookDemocracyinAmerica,inwhichhegaveadescriptionratherthanadefinition:

“Individualismisamatureandcalmfeeling,whichdisposeseachmemberofthecommunitytoseverhimselffromthemassofhisfellowsandtodrawapartwithhisfamilyandhisfriends,sothatafterhehasthusformedalittlecircleofhisown,hewillinglyleavessocietyatlargetoitself.”Tocquevillealsomadeacontemplativecomparisonbetween‘Individualism’and‘Egoism’（selfishness—atendencytodeceiveandmanipulateothersforpersonalgainordowhatisintheirself-interest）andpointedoutthatthisindividualismwasoneoftheproductsamongtheAmericandemocracy.InHabitsoftheHeart,theauthorsRobertBellahandRichardMadsenpointedoutthatindividualismwasthecoreofAmericanvalue.Americansbelievedinpersonaldignityandthesacredrightswhichwereinviolable.Theythoughtforthemselves,judgedforthemselvesandmadedecisionsforthemselves.Theylivedbytheirownlifestyles.AnythingviolatingtheserightscouldbeconsideredmorallywrongandablasphemyagainsttheGod.Inthisbook,acleardivisionbetweenindividualismandegoismwasmade.Egoismwasconsideredasakindofconceptthatoneonlythoughtabouthimselfwithcrazyloveforhimselfinfrontofeverything.Egoismwastheextremeindividualismwhosecorewastoseepersonalvalueshighaboveeverything,puttingpersonaldesiresabovetheinterestsofthenation,collectiveorothers.Forthesakeofpersonalbenefits,theydidnothesitatetoinjuresociety,collectiveandothers’benefits.However,theyadvocatedthatindividualisminAmericawasakindofcalmfeelingthatmadeeveryindependentcitizenliveaboveothersandlivetogetherwiththeirfamiliesandfriendswhoagreedwiththem.

B.Characteristicsofindividualism

1.Individualrightsandfreedom

MuchunliketheEuropeans’thoughtson“freedom”--anentirefreedomfromanystring,thecounterpartinAmericaseemstobemorereasonable,notmeaningthatonecandoanythingatwill,butentitlingpeopletheright“tobeingeducated”,“towork”,“tohavethefreedomofthought,conscienceandreligion”,“togainthefreedomofpeacefulassemblyandassociation”,etc.Thebasisofalloftheserightsare“Life,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness”,declaredbyTheDeclarationofIndependence.Ofcourse,allofthesefreedomsandrightsshouldbeunderthecontroloftheStates’legalsystem.

2.Self-reliance

OneofthemostattractivecharactersofmostAmericanpeopleistheirself-reliance.ChildrenintheUnitedStates,aslongastheyare18yearsold,havetoearntheirdailybreadbythemselves,whileseniorcitizensarequiteusedtolivingaloneinsteadofsharingthesameceilingwiththeirchildren.InthefamilyoftheUnitedStates,childrenhavegreatautonomy.Parentsseldomsay,“Donotdoitinthisway.”Ifthechildistoonaughty,theparentswillsay,“Letthemreturntotheirrooms.”Failuretodevelopself-relianceisseenasathreattoachievematerialsuccess.Thus,itisverycommonforstudentstoworkinAmerica.FormostAmericanstudents,theyworkjustfordevelopingtheirself-reliancespirits.Today,underimpactofthisculturalvalue,manyChinesestudentswhostudyinAmericawillfindpart-timejobs,whichhavebecomearequiredcourse.

3.Equality

Ingeneral,mostAmericansarefairlyindifferenttotheidentityofsocialrankandbelongthemselvestothemiddleclass.“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal.”Andwecan’tgetamorevaluableheritagefromThomasJeffersonandMartinLutherKing.QuitedifferentfromEurope,theideaofequalityintheUnitedStatesassumesthateveryonehasequalopportunitiesratherthansocialpositions.Thatistosay,everypersonhasequalchancetoachievehissuccess.Basedonpersonalequality,individualcompetitionthenhasevolvedintoalifeattitudethroughoutthedailylifeofAmericanpeople.IntheUnitedStates,afairsocialcompetitionisprotectedbybothpoliticalprinciplesandorganizationalstructures,ensuringanadvantageousenvironmentforpersonalequalcompetition.

4.Respectforothers

ForChinese,whentheymeet,theyareusedtotalkingaboutpersonalthings,suchasage,maritalstatus,jobandincome.IntheUnitedStates,thesituationisentirelydifferent.IntheviewofAmericans,thesearepersonalprivacy,andshouldberespectedbyothers.Forexample,ifyouwanttovisitothers,youshouldtellthefamilyfirst.Ifnot,thehostshallnotallowyoutoenterthehouse.IntheFastFoodShop,theAmericanpeoplearejustattheirsideoftheplate,anddonotinterferewithothers.Inthelibrary,theAmericanstudentsdon’tsittogetherwhentheyhaveareading;evengoodfriendsarenotanexception.Theyjustwanttohavetheirownindividualspace.Thatphrase,“noneofyourbusiness”,springseasilytothelipsofanAmerican,andisutteredinthesametoneas“Getoffmyproperty”.IntheUnitedStates,personalprivacyisrespectedandprotectedbylaw.Ifapersonviolatestheprivacyofothersforprofits,curiosity,ormaliciousmotives,hemustbepunished.

III.OriginofindividualisminAmericanculture

Individualismisawesternconceptwhichhasitsorigininthewest.Asthetimegoesby,ithasbeenintensifiedgreatly.

A.Religion

AmericaisaChristiancountry.When“Mayflower”carriedtheBritishtothecontinentofNorthAmerica,itwasdoomedthatindividualismwouldbefullydevelopedinthispieceofland.Ontheonehand,therewereonlymillionsofIndianindigenouspeoplelivingonthispieceofland.Theylivedthemostprimitivelife,andtheirsocialconditionswereextremelybad.Inordertochangethissituation,theBritishhadtorelyontheirowntoconquerthenaturetosurvive.Ontheotherhand,theimmigrantswerePuritanswholefttheUnitedKingdomduetothereligiouspersecution.TheybelievedthatthereisadirectspirituallinkbetweeneverydevoutChristianandGod（ZhuShida,2000:

2）.Therefore,whetherinhighorlowstatus,beingrichorpoor,everyoneisequalbeforeGod.Suchkindofrelationship—“onetomany”betweenGodandpeopleisthebaseforthesurvivalofindividualism.AspuritansbelievedthatallpeoplewereequalbeforeGod,asacompleteindividual,theindividualshouldbeinchargeoftheirlives,pursuetheirownhappiness,andacquiretheirmaterialwealthandsocialstatus.People’sspiritsofhard-workingandprogressareinseparablefromthedeep-rootedreligiousinfluence.

B.AmericanRevolution

TheawarenessofindividualismcanalsobetracedbacktotheperiodofAmericanRevolutionwhenTheDeclarationofIndependencecameintobeing.Thisfamousdocumentstatesthateverymanisanindependent,sovereignentitywhopossessesaninalienablerighttohisownlife,arightderivedfromhisnatureasarationalbeing.Itactuallyindicatestheawarenessofthevalueofequality,individualfreedomanddeterminationofindependence,whichisalsothebasicessenceofthephilosophyofindividualism.ThisdocumentdefendsallthoserightsthathavebeenequallybestowedtoallmenbyGodorprescribedbylaws.AsMarxputit,theDeclarationapproachedtheproblemofindependencefromtheangleofhumanrightsforthefirsttime.Itunequivocallyraisedthesloganofequalityandfreedomforallmen.“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal;thattheywereendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights;thatamongthesearelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.”

C.WestwardMovement

IndividualismwasgreatlyintensifiedintheWestwardMovement.“AmericanWestwardMovementandlifeintheborderareapromotedgreatlytothedevelopmentofindividualism.Somepeoplebelievedthatindividualismwasactuallyacertainkindofculturalheritageoffrontierlife.”TheAmericanfamoushistorianFrederickJ.TurnerheldthatthevastlandinthewestareahadendowedAmericanpeopleadeepunderstandingoffreedom.ItcanbeseenthatintheAmericanFrontier,tosurvivethetoughconditionoflivinginthewild,thepioneersmustfightagainstthebadweatherandunexpecteddiseases,whichcanmaketheircharactersstrong,clear,sometimesinaheroicway.Inreality,theytriedtheirbest