In this paper, Dallas Buyers Club will be taken as a medium to show the significance of inpidualism in the development of the United States, and discuss inpidualism from three aspects: equal right to know, equal right to choose, and inpidual freedom of belief。
2。 Inpidualism in American Culture
What is inpidualism? Inpidualism sprouted during the 14th century Renaissance。 The humanitarian thinkers proposed to defend human rights and freedom, the liberation of inpiduality。 In the 19th century, the French politician Alexis de Tocqueville discussed
systematically the inpidualism in Democracy in America。 He believed that, first, inpidualism emphasizes the inpidual, which, compared with the society, has the highest value; second, inpidualism gives emphasis on democracy and personal freedom; third, starting from the inpidual, inpidualism maintains the social system of private property。 (Tocqueville 25)文献综述
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia defines inpidualism as “a political and social philosophy that attaches great importance to inpidual freedom and emphasis on self-determination, self-control, and inpidual freedom without external constraints”。 (Adler et al。 406)
So in European culture, inpidualism emphasizes inpidual value, inpidual freedom, personal interests, personal life and attention。 It is not only a kind of self theory, but also a kind of attitude; it is a kind of ethical principles, but also a social and political philosophy; it is the most profound essence of western culture。
With the spread of inpidualism in America, inpidualism takes a bit different style。 In the early period, with the Puritan immigrating, the pursuit of self-saving in the Puritanism formed the American value。 Americans believe that they are their own the Savior。 For Americans, success means that one should be ambitious, aggressive and work hard to achieve his goals in life (Gerry 23)。