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内容記述 |
Americans have asked themselves what America is and who an American is, but they haven't found out an proper answer yet. The national motto, "E Pluribus Unum" paradoxically seems to show difficulties to unite various people as an American. But, on the other hand, the Constitution of the United States was established in 1789 and has been retained since then. That is, Americans have maintained one social system for over two hundred years. It means that except the Civil War period Americans has been narrowly united though they are different ethnically and culturally. How can it be possible to explain? This is an essay on American belief and cultural values as a national identity. One is to consider how American identity has formed by inspecting two American traditions, material civilization, and religious and moral culture originated in Puritanism. These two secular and non-secular traditions, on the surface, seem to be contradicted, but Americans have accepted them as their cultural value and belief. In other words, the traditions have been accepted as an American way of life. The 17th century Puritanism brought from England to its colonies of New England had been progressively transformed by such non-conformists against the theocracy of Massachusetts Bay Colony as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams and by Pietism and deism. This was the 18th century Puritanism that Benjamin Franklin supported and accepted. The Puritanism which has been united with such lofty ideals as liberty, equality, justice and so on through years has become a national identity and has influenced Americans' ways of thought and behavior. In that sense, it has played a distinguished role to unite American people who are different in various ways. |
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