L5-The-One-Against-Many

TheOneAgainsttheManyArthurM.Schlesinger,Jr.LessonFiveTextAnalysisAndBackgroundInformation(Para.1)Inanepochdominatedbytheaspirationsofnewstatesfornationaldevelopment,itisinstructivetorecallthattheUnitedStatesitselfbeganasanunderdevelopedcountry.Openingparagraph:raisetheissueofAmericanexperienceinachievingrapidnationaldevelopmentWordUse:Period:generaltermforanypartofhistoricaltimeEpoch:usuallyreferstothebeginningofanewperiodmarkedbyradicalchanges,newdevelopmentEra:referstotheentireperiodAge:alongperiodidentifiedwithsomedominantordistinctcharacteristicse.g:Theinventionofthecomputermarkedanewepochinhumancommunication.The19thcenturywasaneraofindustrializationanddevelopment.TheStoneAge:aperiodofhumantechnologicaldevelopmentcharacterizedbytheuseofstoneastheprincipalrawmaterialfortools.(Para.2)Hadthatbeenso,theIndians…wouldhavedevelopedthecountrylongbeforethefirstsellersarrivedformovertheseas…approachedtheeconomicandsocialchallengesofferedbytheenvironment.firstsettlers:foundersofJamestownin1607ortheMayflowerpassengerswhoestablishedthefirstcolonyatPlymouthTheeconomicandsocialchallenges:TheproblemssuchashungeranddiseasethefirstsettlershadfacedaftertheirlandinginAmerica;andtheirrelationship(includingtheconflict)withthenativeIndians(Para.3)ThebeliefthatinvestmentinpeopleisthemostessentialwayforasocietytodevoteitsresourcesexistedfromtheearliestdaysoftheAmericancolonies.“…thePuritantraditioninvolvedarespectforlearningwhichledtotheestablishmentofschoolsanduniversitiesonascalethatsurpassedEngland”----TheFirstNewNationTheestablishmentoftheuniversitiesintheearliestdays:HarvardCollege1636YaleCollege1701(Para.3)Itaroseoriginallyformaphilosophicalratherthananeconomiccommitment…theconditionsessentialtosuccessfulmodernization.Philosophicalcommitment:dedicationtoabstractprincipleswhicharecarefullythoughtaboutItoriginatedfromthephilosophicalbeliefsinsteadofthepursuitforeconomicalinterest它源于对思想原则的信仰,而不是出于对经济利益的追求Publicbeliefinphilosophicalprinciple(whichstresstheimportanceofeducation)----governmentalsupportforeducatione.g.TheUnitedStatesadoptedtheNationalDefenseEducationActof1958andtheHigherEducationActof1965Economiccommitmentmaynotbethemajorreasonforrespectlearning,butthefaithineducationaswellasitsresultingwideliteracybecameanecessaryconditionformodernization,becauseitcontributesalottothegreatmanpowerwhichisessentialelementformodernization.(Para.5)AnotherfactorintheprocessofAmericandevelopmenthasbeenthecommitmenttoself-governmentandrepresentativeinstitutions.Self-government:theprinciplethatthepeoplearetheultimatesourceofgoverningauthorityandthattheirgeneralwelfareistheonlylegitimatepurposeofgovernment.Representativeinstitutions:代议制政府机构asystemofgovernmentinstitutionsthatgivecitizenstheopportunitytovoteforrepresentativeswhowillworkontheirbehalf.(Para.5)Anotherhasbeentheunderstandingoftheroleofcooperativeactivity,publicaswellasvoluntary.----Theemphasisonpersonalfreedomandpersonalinitiativedoesnotprecludecooperativeactivity.Cooperativeactivitytakestwoforms:Public(compulsory,organizedbythegovernment)&voluntary(e.g.communityserviceandcommunityspirit)(Para.6)nationalrejectionofdogmaticpreconceptionsaboutthenatureofthesocialandeconomicorder.dogmaticpreconceptions:教条式的偏见Asanation,Americahasrefusedtoclingtocertainrigidprinciplesconcerningsocialandeconomicdevelopment.Americaasanationhasbeenadaptableandflexible.Americansarenotdogmatic,theydonotclingtotheories.Theybelieveinexperienceandarenotafraidofmistakes.(Para.6)Americahashadthegoodfortunenottobeanideologicalsociety.It’sfortunatethatAmericahasnotbeenstronglyaffectedbyideology,notkeenonrigidideasandprinciplesinsocialandeconomicdevelopment.InthenextfewparagraphsthefactisrevealedthatAmericahasbeendefinitelyinfluencedbyideology,buttheinfluenceisnotsostrongtoturnitintoanideologicalsociety.(Para.7)Intherecordofthisconflict,ideologyhasattractedsomeofthestrongestintelligencesmankindhasproduced---thosewhomSirIsaiahBerlin,termedthe“hedgehogs”,whoknowonebigthing,asagaisntthe“foxes”,whoknowmanysmallthings.Manywiseintellectualsareattractedtostudyandestablishideologicalsystemsduringthehistoryoftheconflictbetweenideologyandempiricism.(Ideologyhasgreatpower,evenwisepeoplewouldnotresistitsattraction)Onebigthingthehedgehogsknow:whenencounterdanger,hedgehogswillinvariablycurlupintoballswithsharpspinesstickingoutasdefense.Thisistheonlywaytheyknowtoprotectthemselves.Hedgehogsarecomparedtotheideologistswhoonlyknowonething,andfollowthedogmatheybelieveinallthelife.Foxes:notsticktoonewayofprotectingthemselves.Theyusemanydifferentwaystodeceivethosewhothreatentheirsafety.Foxesaremoreflexibleandadaptable.(Para.8)Afterall,theAmericanmindwasconditionedbyoneofthenoblest…tohavecertainvulnerabilitytosecularideologyevenafter.Mind:wayofthinkingCondition:toaffect,orinfluence毕竟,美国人的思维方式深受加尔文派神学的影响,这种神学是有史以来人类创造的最崇高最令人敬畏大的分析体系之一……Anyintellectsoshaped…=anyonewhohasgrownundertheinfluenceofCalvinism,whichalsopromotedmaterialsuccessasameansofindirectlyconfirminganindividual’ssal