1、本科毕业论文浅析美国的个人主义与中国的集体主义林奇与狼牙山五壮士学生姓名：学生学号：院（系）： 外国语学院年级专业：2003级英语本科2班指导教师：二OO七年五月Brief Discussion on AmericanIndividualism and Chinese CollectivismJessica Lynch and Five Warriors on Langya MountainLiao YinyeUnder the Supervision ofLi LiqinSchool of Foreign Languages and CulturesPanzhihua UniversityM
2、ay 2007ContentsAbstractIKey WordsI摘要II关键词IIIntroduction1I. Definitions and Explanations of Individualism and Collectivism3A. Definition and Explanation of American Individualism3B. Definition and Explanation of Chinese Collectivism5C.Chinese Misunderstanding of American Individualism6II.Two Setbacks
3、 for Chinese Present Development7A. Weak Ability to Innovate in Science and Technology7B. Slow Process in Rule by Law8III. Positive Roles of Individualism9A. Ability to Innovate9B. Rule by Law11IV. Chinese Cultural Revival in the Twenty-first Century12Conclusion14Acknowledgements15Bibliography16Abst
4、ractThis paper makes an analysis of the cultural difference between America and China - American individualism and Chinese collectivism from the perspective of prisoners of war and then discusses the importance to foster the spirit of individualism in todays China when it encounters two setbacks in
5、its reform and development. One of the two setbacks is weak ability to innovate in science and technology and the other is slow process of rule by law. With openness and positive attitude of drawing on other civilizations9 strong points, China would avoid detours in its double social transformations
6、 from the type of farming to industry and from industry to information.Key Wordsprisoners of war (POW); American individualism; Chinese collectivism;innovation in science and technology; rule by law摘要本文试从战俘的角度分析中美文化的不同一美国的个人主义与中国的集体主义，并结 合现阶段中国改革发展中出现的科技创新能力弱和法治建设进程缓慢两问题，探讨发扬个人 主义精神的重要性。笔者相信在中国进行从农耕
7、社会向工业社会过渡，工业社会向信息社会 过渡的双重社会转型过程中，只有以开放和学习的心态积极地借鉴其他文明的优点，中国的 改革发展才能少走弯路。关键词战俘；美国的个人主义；中国的集体主义；科技创新；法治IntroductionJessica Lynch (http:/www.j essica- .html)Five Warriors on Langya Mountain(On July 22, 2003, after nearly four months in a military hospital, American Private Jessica Lynch finally returne
8、d home. The small town of Elizabeth, West Virginia, celebrated her arrival with a display of local pride, pomp and pageantry. Another heroic story took place in Chinas Hebei province sixty-two years before that on September 25, 1941 during the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945). Five Chines
9、e soldiers committed suicide by jumping off a cliff when they ran out of ammunition and all the reachable stones. They are the later Five Warriors on Langya Mountain who are remembered and respected by Chinese people till today.Those are two completely different ways of being heroes. But what are wo
10、rth of being taken notice of are soldiers9 different attitudes towards surrender and peoples different attitudes towards prisoners of war (P0W) from their own country.For an American soldier, it is natural and understandable to yield when he fights to the bitter end and has no bullet. But for a Chin
11、ese soldier, to lay down his arms and surrender seems more disgraced than to die, especially when the enemies are from other countries, such as Japan.And what are the ordinary Chinese peoples attitudes towards the prisoners of war from China? Ge Zhenlin, one of the five soldiers, who has luckily sur
12、vived because of the branches in the cliff, was once asked by his fellow villager, 6Did youreally jump off from the cliff?” according to his son. That is to say, if Ge Zhenlin did not jump off from the cliff, he has no honor to be regarded as hero, even with the fact that he had fought to the bitter
13、 end. In China, if you were a POW, still alive, you would very probably face one question Why didnt you die in the battlefield? It must be an unacceptable question in the western countries, but it is a fact in China.The reason behind such phenomenon is that the core of American values is individuali
14、sm and that of Chinese is collectivism. So, when there is a conflict between collective glory and individual life, Americans choose individual life while Chinese choose collective glory.This article does not aim to argue for that the five soldiers should not jump off from the mountain or Chinese peo
15、ple should not expect such heroic action from them, but to make a relatively objective discussion on the cultural reason behind it and then make an analysis of the importance to foster the spirit of individualism when China encounters some difficulties in its present reform and development.I. Defini
16、tions and Explanations of Individualism and CollectivismThere are many differences between American culture and Chinese culture. Among them, the most important or fundamental one is on the value orientation: American culture upholds individualism; Chinese culture advocates collectivism. Thus, in the
17、 daily life, Americans value freedom, rule by law, individual rights and liberation of self while Chinese think highly of ethic code, moral principles and interpersonal relations. What are the definitions and ways of expression of American individualism and Chinese collectivism? Is Chinese knowledge
18、 about American individualism correct?A. Definition and Explanation of American IndividualismThe basis of western culture is Christianity and its core is individualism.For American individualism, it refers to that individual is the foundation for the existence of collective. Everyone has his own ind
19、ependent personality and free will and others should not work their will upon him except that individual interests endanger public interests. What is more, individualism means two aspects: pursuit of individual interests and bearing responsibility of your own at the same time. American represents th
20、em in five rooted convictions in their daily life: everyone is able to save himself; individual rights cannot be deprived in any way; the power of human is unlimited; Americans believe in survival of the fittest; Americans seek to show individuality.Individualism, which is rooted in the earliest Ame
21、rican ideology: Puritanism, is the core of American values. And after historical changes of ages, it has infiltrated into all the fields of American society.The birth of Puritanism is the achievement of the Reformation in Europe, which shattered the old rigid Christianity and liberated the individua
22、l to a large degree. As the result of such reformation, Puritanism surely inherited the achievement. It wasrepresented in two aspects: to set the individual free from the strict discipline of Roman church and to set the individual free from the strict ideological control of Roman church.On September
23、 16, 1620, 102 British puritans rode on a wooden sailing ship “Mayflower”, with the hope that they would win freedom and realize all the dreams in the faraway new continent. It might be for the luck owning to this romantic and beautiful ships name that they went ashore in the new continent successfu
24、lly after sixty-six days, with one dead and one born. In the following days, forty-one adult men from them signed the famous Mayflower Compact 1620, which was simple in content but ushered in a new way of public life. It became an example. That means the public order should be kept by the compact bu
25、t not compelled by the authority above people. So all the people are living for themselves, but not for somebody or something else and they are the masters of the government. That is the reason why the holy stone in Plymouth is regarded as the first symbol that distinguishes between an American and
26、a British. And in the following years, Americans fight for the liberty in the War of Independence and at last they won the war.So, the first Americans were aware that all the kinds of government should form only with their permission. And then with the western expansion, American individualism devel
27、oped a lot and till the age of Emerson, American individualism was greatly perfected.But another problem might emerge. That is how to deal with the conflict between everyones interests when the whole interests in USA and in the world are limited and everyone wants to safeguard personal interest. So
28、the frontiers made the Federal Constitution, the cleverest constitution in the human history. It dealt with the interest conflict between individual and nation in a flexible way, which always safeguards the former to the largest degree.Thus, till now there is no state governor was elected for he int
29、ended to protect the federal interests more, rather than their own states interests. Different form China, nation was evolved from people, village, and state in USA. Therefore, when they keep balance with individual and national interests, they favor for the individual. They areused to thinking in t
30、his way. Then, American peoples attitudes towards surrender and POW would be understandable now.B. Definition and Explanation of Chinese CollectivismThe basis of eastern culture is Confucianism and its core is collectivism.To a member of the proletariat, he should act with Marxist outlook as the gui
31、de, with collectivism as the principle, with the realization of socialism and communism as the goal. There are three origins of Chinese culture: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. What Confucianism pursues is the secular rank, fame and fortune and the value goal of Confucianism is collective interes
32、ts.For Chinese collectivism, it refers to that collective is the foundation for the existence of individual. Public interests are the interests of individual and public values are the values of individual and what is more, public will is the will of individual. For this cultural reason, American president George W. Bush once recalled his childhood when his father was the ambassador in Beijing and for his earliest impression about China he s
