Materialism in American SocietyJoin now to read essay Materialism in American SocietyMaterialism in American SocietyOver the course of the last century America has undergone many societal changes, none of which have had as great an ethical effect as the nations transition towards ever increasing materialism. Materialism, or the desire for wealth and possessions, has faced virulent opposition for thousands of years from both religious institutions and social activists. Throughout time, materialism has been widely slandered not only as spiritually corrupting, but also as a major cause of a multitude of societal ills throughout the world. Although absolute materialism would obviously be awful for all involved, to date materialism has overall been very positive for American society, driving it towards ever-greater productive, intellectual, and ethical heights.
First, the most obvious benefit bestowed upon America by materialism is the increased productivity of its people. With the attainment of wealth and possessions as the predominant motivation, it is to be expected that the majority of Americans go to great lengths to attain material success. Even with such a relatively short lifetime as a nation, Americas capitalist beliefs have catapulted it to the forefront of the world as the only true modern superpower. One of the most significant factors contributing to Americas dramatic rise in power is the capitalistic drive for success and achievement, a love for material possessions that has manifested itself in the typically American value of hard work, both in ones profession and in school. Since education and socioeconomic position are closely correlated, it is not surprising that America is the worldwide leader in higher education.
Not only does America produce great thinkers, but it also attracts the best and the brightest of other countries, people who are drawn to Americas freedom of thought and the material possibilities that abound. So many great minds have made America a land of unprecedented innovation. The copious amounts of money held by American investors has made the United States one of the most inventive societies in the world, second perhaps only to similarly materialistic Japan. The standard of living enjoyed by most Americans is vastly superior to the rest of the world, and it is the productive nature of materialism that allows for such opulence. Although this increased production is overall very positive, it has not come without its negative side effects. Productivity often conflicts with environmental sustainability, and economic progress has often come at the expense of the natural world. Although some irreparable damage is inevitable, with time science will be able to remedy nearly any environmental catastrophe. Even if it is somewhat selfish, Americas materialistic nature promotes a strong national work ethic, something that can be seen only as good, regardless of the nature of its motivation.
Secondly, materialism has been of great intellectual benefit to America by encouraging a clear, rational way of thought. Because everyone is working for maximum productivity, Americans are now more than ever moving away from outdated religious guidelines for their daily lives and are looking more to secular humanism and scientific fact. Many religious institutions suffer during times of increased materialism since the people are obviously giving their time on Earth more consideration than their afterlives.
When the fear of an unknown afterlife is removed from people religions lose much of their power and influence, leaving a vacuum that is readily filled by logic and science.
Humanism, a philosophy that upholds reason, ethics, and justice and specifically rejects rituals, ceremonies, and superstition as a means to affirm a life stance, is naturally conducive to rational thought and the betterment of life on Earth. Humanism has the potential to revolutionize the world, as more and more people begin to act rationally and base their decisions on fact rather than spurious religious texts. This relaxation of religious belief is greatly beneficial to all involved as religiosity has been shown in numerous studies to be negatively correlated with intelligence and scientific interest (Wikipedia). This correlation is clearly detrimental to the progress of American society. Although there are people who believe that materialism is a shallow, sinful existence, until there is empirical evidence to prove the point, humanists will likely give the issue little concern. Materialism promotes curiosity, reason, and logic, the very
n of which Christianity and most Western religions are based. It is therefore not appropriate to defend Humanism above all else.
A second example is that of the religious groups in American society which are, quite simply:
Christianity, the foundation religious organization of America, is deeply rooted in the beliefs of more than one billion people across the United States. They share numerous aspects of religious faith, such as belief in God and God of the Bible; religion, spirituality, and ethics. These individuals have become increasingly involved in religion because of their own beliefs, which they seek to follow. In their efforts to conform in their social lives to the dictates of God, they use religion to obtain their desires and satisfy their need for personal, transcendent personal identity and the moral life of a human being.
While there are countless religious groups and denominations in every nation, the U.S. is one that differs in many ways from other countries. Religion has, as an important portion of our culture, a strong, deep connection to our history and culture in general. This connection grows when it involves understanding the differences in the people around us, as well as our common interests and ideals.
“Humanism is therefore not as radical a philosophy and policy approach as Christianity is; it is more like a theological position, with very little in the way of religious dogma. But that is not to say that atheists are to be ridiculed for believing in a certain deity or to be called racist.”
I am one of about three dozen humanists whose beliefs are not as extreme as their beliefs. They reject belief in a god or a god of laws. They reject belief in any other religion, which is one of two forms of superstition and religion. I reject those forms of superstition by being a humanist.
god.org, Religion.org, 15 May 2005 religious.org, The Truth About Our Common Life