American Exceptionalism
Perhaps one of the most ambiguous creeds to develop concerning the
United States is , a largely controversial ideology
both despised and revered by conflicting historians. Enticed by the
presence of a mode of thought so unique to the United States, believers in
this singular philosophy, such as Seymour Martin Lipset, a professor of
public and political affairs, claims that America is "qualitatively
different" in origin, individualism, patriotism, and optimism. History
professor Ian Tyrrell disagrees and denounces Lipset's aim to "reaffirm"
American exceptionalism. He foresees a time when historians will view the
United States only through the "comparative analyses" of other ...
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itself, stemming from centuries of writings that convey more of
an overtone than a tangible explication. Yet, Lipset has no trouble
asserting that American exceptionalism takes the form of "liberty,
egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and laissez-faire," all
characteristics of Americans, from the revolutionary period to modern times.
Thomas Massaro, a -reviewer of Lipset's obviously controversial book
American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword, paraphrases Lipset simply:
"The United States is different from other countries because it is founded
upon a national creed rather than upon the social bonds of ethnicity and
history that normally cement peoples together." It is this "American
difference and the American "ideology" of uniqueness being debated: in what
ways America, or more specifically the United States, is exceptional. It is
in these areas of discussion, namely egalitarianism and individualism that
Lipset envisions American exceptionalism to rest most ...
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lack of experience,
training, or "ambition" as Hoover calls it. This is precisely what Lipset
meant to convey regarding American egalitarianism, that United States
citizens entertain these promised principles of equality in ways other
countries do not- only as a result of the permanent and perpetual American
mind set of individualism, the next point.
American so-called individualism may be traced back to the
country's origins as the "first new nation" (besides Iceland) to gain
newfound independence. These "revolutionary origins" based upon the
principles declared in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights, which caused certain upheaval ...
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American Exceptionalism. (2005, December 31). Retrieved April 18, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/American-Exceptionalism/38868
"American Exceptionalism." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 31 Dec. 2005. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/American-Exceptionalism/38868>
"American Exceptionalism." Essayworld.com. December 31, 2005. Accessed April 18, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/American-Exceptionalism/38868.
"American Exceptionalism." Essayworld.com. December 31, 2005. Accessed April 18, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/American-Exceptionalism/38868.
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