Puritanism And The Traditions Of American Foreign Policy

With the perspective on the American national spirits that were constructed by Puritanism, this article studies the historical cultural factors that affect the Idealism and Realism co-existing characteristics in American foreign policy. The main viewpoints are as following :During the process of American national spirits formation, the North American emigrations' Puritan belief of the chosen people as a kind of ideology constructed the mission idea of American national spirits, and this keen mission idea made the requirements of expansion in American foreign affairs combine with the salvation impulse close, which is the cultural foundation of the Idealism in American foreign policy. The predestination and the self-improvement principle which were extremely valued by Puritanism build the Puritan ethic of pragmatic laboring and pursuing utility, and that constructed the pragmatic characteristic of American national spirits, which is the cultural foundation of the Realism in American foreign policy. Although those two typical traditions of American foreign policy seems paradoxical, in fact they always twine together and agree with each other perfectly, both of them are subordinated to and serve for the American realistic national interest. By striving to reveal the historical cultural factors behind the American foreign policy, the thesis comprehends the American foreign policy as the reflection of American national spirits, so as to, when we apprehends the American foreign policy, surpass the analysis of concrete policy and grasp its spiritual essence.