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I. Introduction
Individualism, which has various explanations in the British Encyclopedia, is a moral, political, and social philosophy, emphasizing individual liberty, the primary importance of the individual and the “Personal Independence.”（肉怎么切Zhang 2003:150）观察力的培养 “Individualism is the core of the American culture. It focus on the satisfaction of one’s own desire and interests through lf-reliance. The word individualism was first promoted by the French political reviewer Alexis de Tocqueville in his classical book Democracy in America published in 1835.”(Zhu 1999: 225)
The thesis pays attention to the development of American individualism , which is viewed as the core value among all of American social values. It begins with the definition and origin of Amercian individualism , with the purpo of having a initial concept of individualism.At the same time, in order to have a deep and comprehensive understanding of American individualism , the thesis further introduces it by means of demostrating some historical events in different stages.
II. The Definition and origin of American individualism
2.1 The definition of American individualism 游湖
During the past decade, sociologists have got a general idea about American’s concept of value, such as the right of private processions, personal independence, equal opportunity, lf-reliance, advocating reality, religious tolerance, etc.
In the 1960s, American famous sociologist Robin Williams and Arthur Albert concluded a general concept which had been accepted widely by the public. In their opinions, there was something very important for people to keep their eyes on:施食
(1) Freedom
什么的微笑(2) Democracy
(3) Equality, that is to say, American people believe that the social relationship in the United States is horizontal, not vertical.
(4) They play high value on personality but not the common responsibility to the collective.
(5) Individual independence
(6) Their aims of life are looking for success especially the success on wealth, money, or other materials.
(7) They advocate efficiency and reality.
(8) They are fond of the changeable lifestyle.
All the items above are the general ideas about the most important social values of Americans concluded by their own. Although each item can be explained relatively, but as a unity, each has tight link with another. Among all the items, we can easily found that individualism is the most basic factor.
In American’s social values, Equal opportunity and personal freedom are the basic found
ation for every member of the society to achieve their lf-fulfillment. And liberty and equality have the tightest link with Individualism, so Individualism is viewed as the basic social value for American people. In Habits of the Heart the author Robert Bellah, Richard Madn pointed out that Individualism was the core of American value. Americans believed in personal dignity and the sacred rights which were inviolable. (Chen Ben, 2002: P27)家长学校工作总结
The value system of individualism is mainly en in the following fields: individual is the center and core of all values; society is the means to the realization of personal goals in which individual is the only purpo; morally speaking, all men are created equal and each person is entitled to free choice of life style. Since the birth of individualism, it has been influencing American society and has penetrated into every aspects of American life.
Individualists considered that the function of a nation was to supply rvice for individual development. The aim of the activities of human beings was lf-interests even sometime
龙弟弟s this lf-centered system developed into egoism. Individualists advocated that one should live by his or her own lifestyle and it is one’s personal rights to live without the correspondence to the conformity.
There are obviously different explanations in the Catholic Encyclopedia: Individualism is not the opposite of socialism, except in a very general and incomplete way. Individualism is scarcely a principle for it exhibits too many degrees, and it is too general to be called a theory or a doctrine. It means that the individual conscience or the individual reason is not merely the decisive subjective rule; rather it has no objective authority or standard which is bound to take into account. (Wang, 1997: 193)
In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chine Dictionary, it is obvious that individualism has no direct opposition to collectivism.
In general, individualism is a kind of concept of value and ideological system, as an outcome of western capitalism, together with lf-interest and satisfaction. It emphasizes the initiative to satisfy and carry out personal desire and requests. Its core is to e perso
nal value high above everything, putting personal desire above the interest of nation, collective and other people. For the sake of personal benefits, individualists do not hesitate to injure society, collective and others’ benefits.
