【正文】 ted in western world greatly since the time of Tocqueville and Emerson, and it is legislated and has bee a kind of living style existing in every walk of life in western world. 4 Although the 17th century British’s traditional thinking is considered to be the origin of the concept of individualism, the founder of the word “individualism” is Tocqueville. He investigated in America for 9 month, and in 1835 he published Democracy in America in which book he used individualism for the first time. He believes that the existence of individualism is much earlier than the social order, and the selfinterests is the purpose of the action of individuals, and the social system originated in the interaction among individuals. He indicated that individualism is a new word created by a new concept. Only know our ancestors is egotism which means a kind of radical and excessive love to one’s own, and it makes people only care about themselves. Individualism is a kind of feeling which people feel no qualms about selfconcern. With the increasing of equality, a large number of Individuals arise. They have enough wealth and power to satisfy their own needs, therefore, they are independent and hold their own fate in their hands. Ralph Waldo Emerson affirmed the individual in his essays selfreliance. He said, “Character teaches above our wills.”(Emerson, 18) He also think that, “A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages.”(Emerson, 6) Insist on yourself。 Liberalism is the individualism in thoughts。 it is also an alternative, which shows a person who has selfreliance and selfstruggle. It emphasizes on the independence, value, status, and personal right. All of them are sacred and inviolable. America is a multiculture country, after Columbus discovered this land, people from different places of the world flowed to the new land. Americans have been called rootless nationality, for most people live in America are from other places. During the reign of James I, the Presbyterian majority unsuccessfully attempted to impose their ideas on the established English church at the Hampton Court Conference. The result was mutual disaffection and a persecution of the Puritans, particularly by Archbishop William Laud, that brought about Puritan migration to Europe and America. They hoped to look for freedom and a new world. So when the Europeans on the May Flower stepped on this land, which had no national sentiment that should formed during a long time, the personal interests have been considered much important than anything else. It is a rule to protect one’s own interests in a strange place. 2 However, in China, which has a long history of more than 5,000 years, the cultural origins could date back to the primitive society, when Shanding cave people lived and worked together the interests of the collective were sure to be much higher than personal interests were. Therefore, under the influence of the collective the personal interests, which could be considered as individualism, are much looked down upon. The vice influence of individualism is certainly exists, but it’s positive and reasonable side make America develop to be a powerful country in only 200 years. Though collective interest is above everything, extremely denying the individualism is also not an objective and just way. In China, the positive side of individualism could still play a favorable role. Recently as so many people ignored the good aspect of individualism, right recognitions should be emphasized again. Individualism is a phenomenon with great cultural characteristics, and it cannot be justified only with right or wrong. It should be justified objectively and justly. Only after right recognitions have been accepted, China could gain a brandnew way to develop it and Chinese people could also build up their confidence and promote the reliance of their selfworth. 2. Right Conception towards Individualism and Its Positive Aspects The Characteristics of Individualism Primarily, there are two kinds of characteristics of individualism that cannot be denied. Individualism has been existing in western world for a long 3 time, and so many shortings appeared gradually. Now it undergoes the crisis that bought by its shortings and needs to face many new challenges. First, individualism has an ability of developing with human beings together, for it is not a fixed dogma, but a kind of theory that indicates individual’s selfconfidence, independence and selfconscious. As a product that appeared under a certain situation of the history and society, individualism truly has a basis of its establishment. So when the basis changes, there are two ways for individualism to choose. One is to follow the changes。在此之后，也就可以將個(gè)人主義中積極合理的一面應(yīng)用到中國(guó)社會(huì)的發(fā)展中，并以此來(lái)完善和發(fā)展自己。中國(guó)人要正確認(rèn)識(shí)個(gè)人主義必須從美國(guó)文化當(dāng)中理解個(gè)人主義。產(chǎn)生這種差異的根本原因 在 于中美兩 國(guó)不同的文化背景。 i The different Conception towards Individualism between Chinese and American Culture 聶娜 班級(jí) : 指導(dǎo)教師 : ii Abstract The paper represents a different conception between Chinese and American people towards individualism. American people think that individualism is “individuality”, while Chinese people think individualism is equal to “selfishness”. Different culture backgrounds between China and America affect the different conception towards individualism. As a social product and a phenomenon of the culture, right or wrong should not be branded with individualism and as a Marxist, an objective and dialectical method should be used to judge individualism. Then after they understand individualism in a right way, they could take advantage of it in the construction of Chinese society and the development of thems