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TheIndividualismofAmericaLiDaokuanClass5,Grade2009,SchoolofForeignLanguagesandLiterature,ChongqingNormalUniversityAbstract:TheAmericanpeoplebelievethattheyhadbetternotoweanyone,alsootherpeoplecannotowethemanything.Whentheyarecommunicating,theyareinclinedtobeactive.JudgingfromthosefaithsofAmerican,wecangettoknowthattheirperspectiveofindividualism.Inaddition,abettercomprehensionofconceptionandsourceoftheAmerican'sindividualismishelpfulforustounderstanditsculture.Keyword:individualismsourceAmericanculture1IndividualisminAmericaThefaithsofAmericanpeopleisnoowingtoanyone,alsonotbeowedbyanyone.Theyaretendtobeactivewhentheyarecommunicating.Theyarefondofcopewithacaseonhisown,anddisliketobeinterruptedbyothers.Theywillalsonotbotherotherpeople.Brieflyspeaking,theyenjoydoingthingsalone.So,wecansaythattheAmericanlikecarryingoutindividualism.RobertBeria,professorofCaliforniaUniversity,allegedthatItistheindividualismthatisthegenuinecoreofAmericanculture.Americanpeople'sfavorsoftalkingabouthumanrightsalsooriginatefromthisthoughtthatthepersonalrightisthemostsupreme,andthepurposeofgovernmentissimplytoprotectpersons'rightsandprofits.Theformingofgovernmentmustbasedontheagreementofcivilians,andthelegalauthorityalsocomesfromthecitizens.[1]2Abouttheindividualism2.1TheconceptionofindividualismTheencyclopediaofBritainhaveadefinitionofindividualism:Individualismisatypicalthoughtandphilosophyofwesterncapitalism......,individualismisasystemofvalue,atheoryofhumanity,alsoaattitudeandtendencyaboutcertainpoliticseconomysocietyandreligion.[2]IntheEnglishlanguage,thewordindividualismwasfirstintroduced,asapejorative,bytheOwenitesinthelate1830s,althoughitisuncleariftheywereinfluencedbySaint-Simonianismorcameupwithitindependently.AmorepositiveuseoftheterminBritaincametobeusedwiththewritingsofJamesElishamaSmith,whowasamillenarianandaChristianIsraelite.AlthoughanearlyOwenitesocialist,heeventuallyrejecteditscollectiveideaofproperty,andfoundinindividualismauniversalismthatallowedforthedevelopmentoftheoriginalgenius.Withoutindividualism,Smithargued,individualscannotamasspropertytoincreaseone'shappiness.WilliamMaccall,anotherUnitarianpreacher,andprobablyanacquaintanceofSmith,camesomewhatlater,althoughinfluencedbyJohnStuartMill,ThomasCarlyle,andGermanRomanticism,tothesamepositiveconclusions,inhis1847workElementsofIndividualism.Ascommonlyused,anindividualisapersonoranyspecificobjectinacollection.Inthe15thcenturyandearlier,andalsotodaywithinthefieldsofstatisticsandmetaphysics,individualmeansindivisible,typicallydescribinganynumericallysingularthing,butsometimesmeaningaperson..Fromthe17thcenturyon,individualindicatesseparateness,asinindividualism.Individualityisthestateorqualityofbeinganindividual;apersonseparatefromotherpersonsandpossessinghisorherownneeds,goals,anddesires.2.2ThesourceofindividualismIndividualismisthemoralstance,politicalphilosophy,ideology,orsocialoutlookthatstressesthemoralworthoftheindividual.Individualistspromotetheexerciseofone'sgoalsanddesiresandsovalueindependenceandself-reliancewhileopposingmostexternalinterferenceuponone'sowninterests,whetherbysociety,familyoranyothergrouporinstitution.Individualismmakestheindividualitsfocusandsostartswiththefundamentalpremisethatthehumanindividualisofprimaryimportanceinthestruggleforliberation.Classicalliberalism(includinglibertarianism),existentialismandanarchism(especiallyindividualistanarchism)areexamplesofmovementsthattakethehumanindividualasacentralunitofanalysis.IthasalsobeenusedasatermdenotingThequalityofbeinganindividual;individualityrelatedtopossessingAnindividualcharacteristic;aquirk.Individualismisthusalsoassociatedwithartisticandbohemianinterestsandlifestyleswherethereisatendencytowardsselfcreationandexperimentationasopposedtotraditionorpopularmassopinionsandbehaviorsassoalsowithhumanistphilosophicalpositionsandethics.ThewordindividualismisacreativetermmadebytheFrenchhistorianandpolitician—AlexisdeTocqueville,whoindicatedindividualismemphasizesthepersonalfreedomandbenefits,includingself-interestcomponents.2.3ThepresentationofindividualismJustasanoldproverbsaidGodhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves.InAmericathethoughtsrelatedtoself-egoaresostubbornandcanbefoundeverywhere.That'swhythereareplentyofvocabulariesexpressingone-self,suchasself-absorption,self-admiration,ego-centricandsoon.Americanidiomshavealotoflexicaltermsexpressingself-value,self-benefitandself-control,whicharethecorecontentoftheindividualisticsystem.[3]TherearealsomanyexpressionsaboutindividualisminAmericanpeople'sdailylifeexceptthelanguageitself.AlthoughIhaven'tbeentoAmerica,I'vewatchedlotsofAmericanTVseries,andI'vegotsomeusefulinformationsfromthem.Forinstance,Friends,aprevailedTVcomedywhichwasbroadcastedattheearlyof1990's.WecanfindalotofexampleswhichtransmitthethoughtofDoityourselfinthisshow.Monica,who'sthecorepersoninthosesixpeople,wasaffectedbyhereminentbrother'spower.Soherparentsdidnotshowmuchaffectiontoher.Worsestill,shewasfatty,soshewasverypessimisticanddidn'thavemuchconfidence.Nevertheless,Monicadidn'tonlyloseweightby