In class, we spent a good deal of time discussing the “American Dream,” only to have a student point out that we had not yet defined it. So, for this post, the American Dream refers to a situation where someone makes something out of nothing, a rags-to-riches tale where the antagonist bursts through the social plateau on which he was birthed and through hard work and an unwavering spirit arrives at a better life financially. In my opinion, the American Dream has nothing to do with doing good or virtuous things; the values that it hinges on seem much more related to the payoff of passion and dedication.
Someone in class also brought up the concept of the American Dream being a noble lie. This conflicts with one major principle of a noble lie, but it agrees with many of its important facets such as it being a lofty goal with the purpose of motivating the citizens. The obvious argument against the American Dream being a noble lie is the simple fact that it exists, for there have been numerous counts of someone rising from the bottom to the top in American History. The American Dream simply cannot be a lie if it has occurred. I think the problem people have with this, is that if one takes the American Dream to mean, in mathematical terms: person + virtuous acts + hard work = financial and spiritual success, then they could point out many cases where hard work and virtuousness did not produce both financial and spiritual success.
The only problem is, when has a history book ever described the American Dream as having anything to do with being a good person…? Or that person reaching anything other than financial success? I agree with Socrates (in his argument with Thrasymachus) when he states that a just person will live a happier life than his unjust counterpart, but he mentions nothing of individual, monetary gain.
A logical argument against this would be that if a person has achieved the American Dream, they have most likely found their ergon, which would mean that they fall into the most important category of Socrates’ definition of a just person/society. This makes sense, but if everyone reached his or her American Dream justly, why would Socrates have created the checks and balances three-class system? He took into account that there would still be individual wrongdoing, and that is why he created his world with those groups. Because the American Dream is just, doesn’t necessarily mean that the road to glory follows the same path.
Continuing from discussion in class today, I think that the noble lie might not be the American Dream itself but the idea that everyone can achieve the American Dream. In my history classes and in elementary school, where history class was essentially a course in how to be patriotic, I was always told that anyone in America can do it.
ReplyDeleteThis relates back to what I think Dr. J was saying about nobility or morality and the American Dream. It's not that we think pimps and drug dealers are beacons of morality, but we value the characteristics that they use to achieve their success.
The same is true for the American Dream. We value the person who achieves the American Dream not for their financial success but for the dedication and hard work that got them there. This, I think, is the noble lie: Everyone in America is born with equal opportunity for success. True, some have more money and have it easier, but this is a society with the potential for endless upward mobility. If you work hard enough and perservere, you, too, can achieve the American Dream.