American Rationalism In The Twenty-First Century

American Exceptionalism, the idea that the United States and its citizens are superior to all other countries, is a driving force in American society today, which is both positive and negative. As foreshadowed in Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the early poetry of Phyllis Wheatley, and the work of playwright Arthur Miller, the idea that America is better than other countries has developed and flourished to become a recurring theme in politics today. As Robert R. Tomes states in his essay American Exceptionalism in the Twenty-first Century, American Exceptionalism is a blend of ideology and mythology, but today, the aspect of mythology seems to have overtaken ideology.
The United States is unique among nations in that its government was created by the people it would govern, as opposed to being inherited from a monarchy. In Common Sense, Thomas Paine denounced the monarchy of Great Britain and argued for a representative democracy. The seeds of American Exceptionalism were planted in these writings, as he encouraged Americans to choose the kind of country …show more content…
Without a doubt, American Exceptionalism is thriving in this country, which is not always a good thing. President Obama has acknowledged that perhaps other countries feel they are exceptional as well, when he said that he believes “In American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism” (Obama and ‘American Exceptionalism’). When accepting his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, he states, “The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms” (Remarks by the President at the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize). While this is true, it can also come across as boastful or