A Study on American Individualism美国个人主义 英文论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、Individualism supplied the nation with a rationalization of its characteristic attitudes,behavior patterns and aspirations. It endowed the past, the present and the future with the perspective of unity and progress. It explained the peculiar social and political organization of the nationunity in sp

2、ite of heterogeneity and it pointed toward an ideal social organization in harmony with American experience. Above all, individualism expressed as the universalism and idealism most characteristic of the national consciousness. This concept evolved in contradistinction to socialism, the universal an

3、d messianic character of which it shared. Individualism, the love of enterprise, and the pride in personal freedom have been deemed by Americans not only their choicest, but their peculiar and exclusive possession. Individualism, the love of enterprise, and the pride in personal freedom have been de

4、emed by Americans not only their choicest, but their peculiar and exclusive possession.Individualism is perhaps the primary concept that, transcending such categories as race, gender, class, age and region, unites Americans across time and space to give coherence to the national experience. From the

5、 earliest beginnings of the republic to the post-modernist present, the rights of the individual citizen and his or her place in the scheme of things has been of primary importance to American philosophers, artists, political theorists, theologians and others concerned with articulating national val

6、ues and principles. Communitarian ideas rise from time to time to challenge individualism, but none have yet been successful in seriously weakening its hold on American culture. Incorporated into American common-sense thinking, the philosophy of individualism becomes in the popular mind the very ess

7、ence of what being an American means. In this course we will examine with a critical eye the philosophical basis and social consequences of the primacy of the individual in American intellectual, legal, and political traditions. There are five parts of this paper. The first part is the brief introdu

8、ction of the paper, mainly introduce the important position of American Individualism in American. The second part summarize the Individualism, including origin, development, evolvement and the development fundemental. The third part is the most vital one, in this chapter, this paper talk about the

9、performance of American Individualism in various areas. The fourth part is the evaluation of Individualism and the conclusion of the whole paper.II On the TermAmerican Individualism2.1Concept of the IndividualismBelief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance a

10、nd personal independence. Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses the moral worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of ones goals and desires and so independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interferenc

11、e upon ones own interests, whether by society, or any other group or institution.Individualism makes the individual its focus and so it starts with the fundamental premise that the human individual is of primary importance in the struggle for liberation. Natural rights and freedom are the substance

12、of these theories. Classical liberalism （including libertarianism）, existentialism and individualist anarchism are examples of movements that take the human individual as a central unit of analysis. It has also been used as a term denoting The quality of being an individual; individuality related to

13、 possessing An individual characteristic; a quirk. Individualism is thus also associated with artistic and bohemian interests and lifestyles where there is a tendency towards self creation and experimentation as opposed to tradition or popular mass opinions and behaviors as so also with humanist phi

14、losophical positions and ethics. Individualism encompasses a value system, a theory of human nature, and a belief in certain political, economic, social, and religious arrangements. According to the individualist, all values are human-centred, the individual is of supreme importance, and all individ

15、uals are morally equal. Individualism places great value on self-reliance, on privacy, and on mutual respect. Negatively, it embraces opposition to authority and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by the state. As a theory of human nature, individualism holds th

16、at the interests of the normal adult are best served by allowing him maximum freedom and responsibility for choosing his objectives and the means for obtaining them. The institutional embodiment of individualism follows from these principles. 2.1.1 The Misconception of IndividualismIsolation The fir

17、st misconception is that individualism means isolation-being alone, being outside society. This misconception is reflected in the popular images of “individualism”, images that stress being isolated, such as those of the lone cowboy, the fearless gumshoe, and the isolated prairie family. Such images

18、 can be exciting and heroic, but isolation is not the essence of individualism.In fact, the concept of individualism does not make sense in the absence of other human beings. Individualism is called “individualism” not because it exhorts the individual to seek a life apart from others, but because i

19、t asserts that the individual, and not the group, is the primary constituent of society. The belief that individualism means being alone leads people to say that individualism is incompatible with cooperation. If one is too much of an “individualist”, people say, one cannot “get along with groups”,

20、one is not a good “team player”. Actually, a person who doesnt listen to others, the person who would rather do things an inefficient way as long as its “my way”, is not being an “individualist”-hes being closed minded. A true individualist wants the best for himself, so he seeks out the best, no ma

21、ter who is the source. To the individualist, the truth is more important than any authority, including himself. Living in society, cooperating with other people-these are tremendous benefits. Individualism does not deny this. But not all arrangements of living and working with other men are benefici

22、al to the individual; the arrangement faced by American slaves is one example. Individualism is a theory of the conditions under which living and working with others is, in fact, beneficial. Balance Another widespread misconception about individualism is that it can somehow be mixed with or tempered

23、 by collectivism. In this view, neither “extreme” individualism nor “extreme” collectivism are correct. Rather, wisdom and truth lie somewhere in the middle. Individualism and collectivism are contradictory positions-there is no middle ground between them. Collectivism maintains that the group is an

24、 entity in its own right, a thing that can act upon people. Individualism denies this. Collectivism sees us being influenced by the group; individualism sees us being influenced by other individuals. Collectivism sees us cooperating with the team; individualism, with other people. Collectivism sees

25、us building on the ideas and achievements of society; individualism, on the ideas and achievements of individuals. These are contradictory positions; its either-or. To accept the “balance” point of view is to accept collectivism. No collectivist has ever said that every single need of every individu

26、al must be frustrated for the sake of the society-if so, there wouldnt be any society left to serve. Collectivism is the balance point of view; it is a matter of fine-tuning here and there, constraining individuals when their interests get out of line with the “good of society”. Indeed, the main deb

27、ate between the “left” and the “right” today is not a debate over collectivism and individualism-its a debate over two forms of collectivism. The “left” holds that the needs of society lie in the materialistic realm, so they are into regulating that aspect of individual affairs. The “right” holds th

28、at the needs of society lie in the spiritual realm, so they are into regulating the spiritual aspect of individual affairs. 2.1.2 The Conception of American IndividualismThe embodiment of American Individualism can be depicted in four aspects, from which we put emphasis on there of them.Self-relianc

29、eOne of the most attractive characters of most American people is their self-reliance, which is generally considered as the basic of individual freedom, another essential character of individualism of America. Children in the United States, as long as they are18-year old, have to earn their daily br

30、ead by themselves, while senior citizens are also quite used to living alone instead of sharing the same ceiling with their children. No wonder that we may hear people always say Thanks, but I can manage it throughout the country in the America.Individual FreedomMuch unlike the Europeans thoughts on free