Verified Document

Roots Of The Feeling Of Moral Superiority Term Paper

¶ … Roots of the Feeling of Moral Superiority in the U.S. The United States has been criticized in recent years for assuming an air of moral superiority and for trying to impose their opinions on the rest of the world. Even when the tragedy of September 11 happened, some countries were happy to see America suffer. Why would they hate us? Partly it might be because they envy the wealth and freedom that American citizens have. It is also because they think Americans believe they are always in the right, (my country, right or wrong). Did this attitude emerge with the founding fathers? We can see American attitudes to ourselves and also to other countries in non-fiction and fiction of the first two centuries, from the 1770's to the 1970's.

In "Common Sense," 1776, Thomas Paine declared "Neither can ye reconcile Britain and America...The Almighty hath implanted in us these inextinguishable feelings for good and wise purposes. They are the guardians of His image in our hearts. They distinguish us from the herd of common animals." (III. "Thoughts on the present state of American affairs"; www.bartleby.com-see

Works Cited

Here he is saying that the Revolution is pre-ordained and that the moral right is held by the Colonies. In his Epistle to the Quakers, he contradicts their loyalist/pacifist sentiments by saying, "We view our enemies in the character of highwaymen and housebreakers." (as above). So Paine's view is that it is ordained by God that the colonies rebel, and that they are totally justified, and, even more significantly, that any enemy of the colonies is a criminal. Here we see the beginning of the mindset that has...

In Letter IV, "Description of the Island of Nantucket, with the Manners, Customs, Policy, and Trade of the Inhabitants," he remarks: "The great number of European emigrants yearly coming over here informs us that the severity of taxes, the injustice of laws, the tyranny of the rich, and the oppressive avarice of the church are as intolerable as ever...This country, providentially intended for the general asylum of the world, will flourish by the oppression of their people." (Letters From An American Farmer; www.xroads.virginia.edu-see
Works Cited

In the same letter, he adds: "Had this island been contiguous to the shores of some ancient monarchy, it would only have been occupied by a few wretched fishermen...oppressed by poverty." Instead, the inhabitants of the New World are free to go ahead and make their living.

In literature as well, we see these American attitudes come out. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne,…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

The Norton Anthology of American Literature, vol. 1, 5th ed. Nina Baym

De Crevecoeur, J. Hector St. John. Letters From An American Farmer. New York, Fox, Duffield, 1904. www.xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/CREV/letter04.html.

Melville, Herman. Moby Dick. New York, W.W. Norton and Company, 1967.

Paine, Thomas. "Common Sense" and "Epistle to Quakers." 1776. New York, Bartleby.com, 1999. http:www.bartleby.com/133/
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

The Moral Landscape of Pre
Words: 6045 Length: 20 Document Type: Thesis

On the threshold of the Civil Rights movement, Baldwin would publish Notes of a Native Son. Though 1953's Go Tell It On The Mountain would be perhaps Baldwin's best known work, it is this explicitly referential dialogic follow-up to Wright's Native Son that would invoke some of the most compelling insights which Baldwin would have to offer on the subject of American racism. This is, indeed, a most effectively lucid examination from the perspective of a deeply

Ethnic Self Identity
Words: 2394 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Introduction According to Phinney and Alipuria (1987), ethnic self-identity is the sense of self that an individual feels; being a member of an ethnic group, along with the behavior and attitudes with that feeling (p. 36). The authors point out that the development of ethnic identity is an evolution from the point of an ethnic identity that is not examined through an exploration period, so as to resonate with a specified

Religion in Human Transformation of the African-American
Words: 3249 Length: 12 Document Type: Term Paper

Religion in Human Transformation of the African-American topic with a focus on the African-American Christianity experience. The writer explores the transformation to Black Christianity and uncovers some of the underlying features of its existence. The writer examines the patterns and experiences of spirituality for the Black Christian experience in North America as well as the ways that the particular historical experiences of Blacks in the United States assisted in

Celebration of Discipline Foster, Richard.
Words: 1122 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

"Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself." Moral superiority, setting unrealistic and fixed goals, and judging others are antithetical to good practices, self-knowledge and reaching out to others in an open and tolerant fashion facilitate spiritual practice. Foster stresses that many Eastern practices are compatible with Christian practices. Meditation is not an esoteric part of discipline, but within every believer's capability provided that he or she

Flannery O'Conner's a Good Man Is Hard to Find
Words: 1576 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. Specifically, it will focus on the use of comedy/humor, foreshadowing, and irony in the work. Flannery O'Connor is one of the South's most well-known writers, and nearly all of her works, including this short story, take place in Southern locales. Her work embodies the Southern lifestyle, which includes close family ties, attention to family roots, and a more laid-back and

Southern Devotion to a System
Words: 2048 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Both countries reallocated their favor toward the Union, which contributed to confederate dissolution. The battle of Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation will forever be entwined because without the battle, emancipation might have looked very different. It was a case of perfect timing and making the most out of a bad situation and Lincoln should be commended for his ability to think about things clearly enough to see how these events

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now