American Exceptionalism as ‘Fantasy’ : Beyond the Belief in ‘Essential Goodness’
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This paper attempts to define ‘American exceptionalism’ as a patent fantasy that makes possible America’s self-identity as an example of universal history and at the same time makes it impossible to imagine the beyond. This paper places this fantasy in its historical connection with the American notion of mundane elitism manifest in Benjamin Franklin. American exceptionalism as a fantasy has been a key cognitive device to extend its national origin into the context of universalism. The universality of American exceptionalism is, however, ambiguous because it tries to propound the universalist ideals founded in Declaration while simultaneously covering up the sinister aspect of its nationalist claims. Like a puritan jeremiad, American exceptionalism as a discourse is most powerful when it incorporates the plebian elitism of Benjamin Franklin. Popular accessibility to Franklinian model of elitism makes it extremely difficult to go beyond its ideological claim. It often co-opts alternative figurations within its own framework. Failure of Du Bois’s idea of “The Talented Tenth” was just a case in point. By invoking the need to go beyond the cognitive frameworks that American exceptionalism provides and suggesting some radical reflections on the American exceptionalism after 9/11, I explore the possibility of the new presidency of Barack Obama to think and go beyond the deep-rooted belief in the innate goodness of the United States and public fantasy about benign elitism.
Abstract
This paper attempts to define ‘American exceptionalism’ as a patent fantasy that makes possible America’s self-identity as an example of universal history and at the same time makes it impossible to imagine the beyond. This paper places this fantasy in its historical connection with the American notion of mundane elitism manifest in Benjamin Franklin. American exceptionalism as a fantasy has been a key cognitive device to extend its national origin into the context of universalism. The universality of American exceptionalism is, however, ambiguous because it tries to propound the universalist ideals founded in Declaration while simultaneously covering up the sinister aspect of its nationalist claims. Like a puritan jeremiad, American exceptionalism as a discourse is most powerful when it incorporates the plebian elitism of Benjamin Franklin. Popular accessibility to Franklinian model of elitism makes it extremely difficult to go beyond its ideological claim. It often co-opts alternative figurations within its own framework. Failure of Du Bois’s idea of “The Talented Tenth” was just a case in point. By invoking the need to go beyond the cognitive frameworks that American exceptionalism provides and suggesting some radical reflections on the American exceptionalism after 9/11, I explore the possibility of the new presidency of Barack Obama to think and go beyond the deep-rooted belief in the innate goodness of the United States and public fantasy about benign elitism.
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