A philosophical history of American identity: balance of proposals & its current crisis
Abstract
Abstract
This paper is a critical synthesis, which makes a balance of main thought contributions that have favored the configuration of the American identity and its periodic reformulation. The thought systems are articulated, according to their transition from political theologians (such as puritans, charismatics and transcendentalists, with contributions like biblical pactism, free will, pietistic charity, manifest destiny, etc.), crossing to pragmatic philosophers (as the framers, democratizers and reconstructors, with resources like free-thinking -free-masonry & whigs-, federalism, pragmatism, etc.), until the socio-cultural academics (specially, from Cultural Studies, with concepts of consensus, i.e. frontiers, exceptionalism and melting pot; as well as proposals of differential issues –as result of the brain drain: Frankfurt School, Normale-Annales, Birmingham, etc.-, with notions of class, status and social conflict, ethnic
cultural metameres, gender constructs, etc.). The study moves until the current
crisis, without generally accepted solutions and under the trans-Western risk.
Keywords: Philosophical History, identity, crisis, United States of America (USA), trans-Western risk.
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References
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