“美国例外论”与美国外交政策传统

The Theory of American Exceptionalism and the Tradition of American Foreign Policy

作为西方国家的一员 ,美国的外交政策比大多数欧洲国家都富有理想主义和使命感。究其原因 ,主要源自美国政治文化中的“美国例外论” ,即美国人是上帝的选民 ,生活在“山巅之城” ,其自由价值和民主制度应当推广到全世界。这一使命感在当代的表现就是在全球追求民主和人权。在如何使美国的价值观普遍化方面 ,美国传统上存在着两种不同的观点 :树立榜样和实行干预。自 2 0世纪初起 ,随着美国实力的增长 。

American foreign policy is imbued with idealism and a sense of mission. The basic reason for this is the theory of American exceptionalism within American political culture, that the American people are God's chosen people, that they live in the “Promised Land,” and that their values of freedom and democracy should be extended to other parts of the world. This sense of mission is expressed today as the pursuance of democracy and human rights throughout the world. There have been two different approaches to making their values universally accepted: Setting an example and intervention. Since the early 20th century, as America's power expanded, this sense of mission has increasingly been combined with a drive to become the world leader.