About value systems and value labels

When the United States declared her independance, it came at a time when European culture had reached a peak of philosophical, and liberal reasoning, though imprisoned in oppressive political systems.

The fathers of the American constitution had the wisdom to harvest the treasures of European civilisations, to combine with classic democracy whilst adding Native American elements and translating the whole into a practical and workable system.

In such a way, the mother of all modern democracies was born.

America likes to project herself in terms of superlatives: the best, the biggest, the richest, the most developed, the only remaining superpower, etc.

There is nothing wrong with superlatives. Every living creature strives for the best possible level of individual existence. Some achieve extraordinary levels, others don’t.

Superlatives stimulate our mind and can help attain goals far beyond our imagination – like the first privately funded flight into space with 'Spaceship One'.

A collective strive for positive goals can also help create a better world. The pursuit of such goals, however, goes with varying amounts of compassion and wisdom, and so are the results. At best, a value system can form a guideline for individual and collective development, though responsability remains with the individuals in any free society. Our life develops between the gates of birth and mortality – such defining a time limit for personal achievements.

During this process, cultural treasures are lived and can be passed on. These, when carried over from generation to generation, need to be fully understood in its essence. It’s easy to get lost.
Cultural heritage transfer requires mental precision, and shouldn’t be spoiled with improper labels.

Cultural heritage, once labeled ‘American’, finds its way into a patriotic basket. And here comes the catch: A jewel, cast in the wrong metal, looses its splendor. The question is to define what ‘American’ could mean – let me examine, in a very subjective way, a few American icons on my mind. Are the below ‘American’?

Yes, Elvis Presley is truly American. In many ways – his biggest merit, I guess, is having recognized the value of ‘Black’ music, and blending it with other music traditions into one: Rock. This said Elvis’ music is cherished all over the world.

Coca-Cola? No, this soda drink can be brewed anywhere. Coke tastes a little different depending on the country. Some local cokes still use the old formula, and use cane sugar instead of cornstarch.

Freedom? It’s a universal quality, but America has special, if not unique merits in this field. Firstly she gave home and hopes to millions of impoverished and traumatized immigrants. Secondly, she prevented both Nazi/Shinto Japanese, and Communists to preside over the world. A communist world would have led to mass starvation – no Communist country ever managed to nourish its citizens for a sustained period – see North Korea.

Budweiser? (not the Czech Budvar). Yes, Budweiser is American. In most other places, beer is brewed a lot stronger (containing a higher percentage of alcohol).

Jazz? Definitely yes. It’s African heritage, processed in the US. But it also can be seen as a universal style, call it part of world culture.

Optimism? Possibly resulting from a successful survival in the West, the ‘we can do it’ mentality is certainly typical American. In other places, skeptic minds prevail.

Fast food? Most countries know kinds fast food. A gigantic appetite for greasy, sweet, gooey low-quality food seams to be typically American.

Football and Baseball? These are also played in some other countries, but essentially these sports are truly American. Let’s pitch that.

Western stories and movies?. Some other wild-border countries also have equally violent stories of conquest to tell(Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Russia). I would rate the experience of the West, however, as genuinely American.

Hollywood? No, Hollywood has a touch of universal culture, at least when looking at some of her quality products.

Now, coming back to the main theme of this article, what should one feel about the constitutional and religious heritage of the United States?

The documents ‘Declaration of Independence’and the ‘Constitution of the United States are true beacons of mature human reflection. They encompass wisdom of several thousands of years; distilled from the Old World, and the Ancient World. Immigrants from England, and Scotland created these outstanding documents – people, who lived in a time of spiritual re-orientation from faith to reason (we seem to be reverse mode right now). They had the unprecedented chance to test the treasures of the past in the light of savage, unforgiving, and challenging realities.

Are these values European? Or American? Or Christian? Yes, perhaps, one may say so, but such labels do not add any intrinsic value. Are these values universal? Possibly, and this is where true value emerges.

Let's take The Gospel. Originating in the first and second century A.D, The Gospel merged the Greek tradition of theatre with the Jewish tradition of historical consciousness. The Gospel strongly influenced European and American thinking, and remains a unique set of inspiration. Christianity makes a strong point of forgiveness. What happens in a world devoid of forgiveness? Turn on the TV and have a look at Israel/Palestine- a world, which is torn apart by a never-ending spirals of war, grief and bloodshed. What else could better demonstrate the importance of forgiveness?

Summarizing some of the above points, and concluding, The United States have assembled and improved value systems inherited from the past. The value systems are important for the world, where most countries offer only minimal amounts of economical, religious and constitutional rights. This said, a wrong sense of patriotism might make these values weaker, rather than stronger.

My personal hopes are that positive elements of both Universal/American heritage (Independence, Constitution, Entrepreneurship, Optimism, Freedom) could form a solid cornerstone of a future educated World Culture – a dream, far from being realized

©2004 by Franz L Kessler