论美国文化价值观之对物质财富的追求

论美国文化价值观之对物质财富的追求

当谈到文化价值观时，我们会发现不同的国家都有其独特的价值观。美国也不例外，也有其独特的价值观。其中对物质财富的追求是其传统文化价值观之一。

本文从清教主义、社会和自然环境，以及实用主义哲学等几个方面对美国人追求物质财富这一传统价值观进行了分析，挖掘其渊源, 并从积极和消极两个方面探讨这一价值观对美国个人及整个国家的影响，并指出对物质财富的追求应建立在适度及取之有道的基础上。

关键词:文化价值观，美国人，物质财富, 影响

Introduction

To some extent, values mean the general and shared conceptions of what is good, right, appropriate, worthwhile, and important with regard to modes of conduct and states of existence. In other words, values are conceptions about how the world and people should be. And when refers to the cultural values in different nations, we can conclude that different country has its own unique cultural values. As the formation of a country’s cultural values are affected by many factors, such as history, religion, natural environment, economy, politics and so on.

A country’s cultural values experience a long historical process.Life mode, behavior mode and thinking mode of generation after generation all relate to their own distinctive national cultural values. That’s to say, a country's cultural values inevitably affect its people as well as the whole nation.

The United States, like any other countries, has its national cultural values. But compared with other countries in the world, the United States is a quite special one. In the specific historical background and broad natural environment of North America, some unique American cultural values had come into being gradually.

The basic American traditional cultural values are individualism, equality of

opportunity, competition and desire for success, pursuit material wealth, hard-working spirit and so on. Many Americans still believe in them and are strongly affected by them. It is easier to understand what Americans are thinking and feeling if we can understand what these basic traditional American values are and how they have influenced almost every facet of life in the United States.Whatever the case, among all these values, pursuit of material wealth is a very important one. Many of the values mentioned above are in one way or another related to the notion of pursuit of material wealth. Indeed, in many ways, the desire for material wealth serves as a driving force for individuals to work hard, to keep an upbeat spirit, so as to be more competitive, and to obtain more material goods to demonstrate the worth of life.

In this paper, the author will analyze the pursuit of material wealth. The contents include analysis the cultural origins of American values—pursuit of material wealth, the influences of this value on American people’s life and the whole nation and the conclusion.

The Origins of Desire for Material Wealth

1.1 The Influence of Puritanism

At the beginning of 17th century, the first settlers landed on the New Land not only for the religious freedom but also for wealth. From then on, the Puritans began to influence the whole land and Puritanism was the mainstream of the colonial culture and has greatly influenced the Puritan colonies in North America, and then the whole country. It was an important factor in the course of forming of American culture and American spirit. Its theory of wealth has deeply influenced the attitudes of Americans towards wealth.

The Puritans insisted that all individuals are left alone before God to improve them or suffer eternal punishment by God for their sinful acts. So Protestantism encourages a strong and restless desire for self-improvement. And the achievement of material success is probably the most widely respected form of self-improvement. So desire for material wealth in American culture has close relationship with Puritanism