Study Document
American Exceptionalism Is a Concept Thesis
Pages:6 (1870 words)
Sources:6
Subject:Other
Topic:American Exceptionalism
Document Type:Thesis
Document:#96303650
" This view appears to be excessively negative, not least because of its lack of balance. It fails to acknowledge balance and uses all arguments to the contrary to perpetuate itself. Neither the view of American exceptionalism being wholly good or wholly bad is therefore entirely realistic.
Much more realistic is perhaps Koh's view, although it still tends towards the somewhat negative side. I do agree with this author in terms of the double standard issue. However, several of the other issues appear to be an attempt to unnecessarily demonize and complicate the issue of American exceptionalism. Towards a more balanced view, it is important to weigh both the positive and negative aspects of American exceptionalism equally.
Such a view is presented by Dennis Phillips (2), who accurately notes that "a balanced approach to the study of American exceptionalism is easily distorted by assumptions of superiority." Indeed such assumptions lie at the heart of many of the problematic views mentioned above. As such, exceptionalism is viewed as synonymous with the assumption of superiority. In order to obtain balance, however, the distinction -- however fine -- between exceptionalism and superiority need to be delineated. Superiority is generally viewed in a negative light, and is assumed to be inaccurately based upon only the positive achievements of the past, as in the case of Bromund. Such critics use the idea of exceptionalism to substantiate their claims to superiority.
It is the same assumption that influences the solely negative view of exceptionalism. The assumption of superiority is viewed as essentially negative by antagonists to this ideal, and therefore attacked as synonymous to exceptionalism.
A more balanced view however views both the positive and negative aspects of exceptionalism as existing side by side. Exceptionalism can be distinguished to mean that the nation is different from all others. Indeed, this is true and does not appear to be disputed by either opponents or proponents of the good qualities of exceptionalism. However, the use of exceptionalism to promote superiority becomes problematic. This tendency is what unbalances the view of exceptionalism as either entirely good or entirely bad. Instead, as both Koh and Phillips accurately note, American exceptionalism exists as…
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