论清教主义对美国价值观的影响_英语论文

On Influence of Puritanism on American Values

摘要

宗教是维系美国社会秩序的主要力量。在美国殖民时代，清教徒是移民主体，清教主义作为一种宗教理念，扮演了殖民时代政治理论的角色。其所宣扬的核心理念已成为奠定今日美国主流文化价值观的基础，铸就了美国人追求民主、崇尚开拓和实用等民族特性。对北美殖民地文化如美国精神，美国自由，民主政治，美国文学等产生了深远地影响。本论文首先梳理了清教主义的产生及其发展过程，清教徒倡导的主要思想及其利弊与其在美国人民日常生活中的体现，然后分析清教主义对美国主流文化的产生和发展所产生的巨大影响。通过了解清教主义我们能加深对美国文化，美国社会和美国民族精神的认识。

关键词:清教主义；美国价值观；影响

Abstract

Religion is the dominant force to maintain order in American society. In colonial America, Puritans were the major component of immigrants. Puritanism as a religious philosophy, served as the political theory in colonial America. The core concepts it promotes have laid the foundation of American mainstream values today. It creates the national identity like pursuit of democracy, advocacy pioneering and competition, emphasis on utility and so on. The North American culture: such as the American spirit, American freedom, democracy and the American literature have been profoundly influenced by Puritanism. This paper first explores the generation and the development of the Puritanism, main thoughts the Puritans advocate and their advantages and disadvantages and the reflections of the ideas in Americans’ daily life, then, this paper analyzes the tremendous influence that the Puritanism exerts on the American mainstream culture. By learning Puritanism, we can understand American culture, know about the society and deepen the knowledge of the American national spirit.

Keywords: Puritanism; American values; Influence