Intro -- American Narcissism: -- The Myth of National Superiority -- American Narcissism: -- The Myth of National Superiority -- Wilber W. Caldwell -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: Making the World Over in America's Image -- Part One: Notes on Nationalism -- Chapter 1: Nationalism -- Toward a Definition of Modern Nationalism -- The Birth of the Modern Nation -- National Identity -- Chapter 2: Types of Nationalism -- A Brief History of European Nationalism -- The Characteristics of Integral Nationalism -- Part Two: The Evolution of the American Superiority Myth -- Chapter 3: The New World -- The Myth of the Garden -- The New Canaan -- The Frontier -- Chapter 4: Chosen-ness, Mission, and Destiny -- The Finger of God -- The Light of the World -- Steward of Enlightenment -- Novus Ordo Seclorum -- Chapter 5: Ideological Superiority -- Ideology and Inflexibility -- Immigrants and Ideology -- Individualism, Ideology, and American Exceptionalism -- Chapter 6: The Arrogance of Abundance -- Liberty, Equality, and Property -- The Triumph of Laissez-faire -- The American Economic Miracle -- The Myth of American Technological Supremacy -- Chapter 7: The Arrogance of Isolationism -- Early American Isolation -- The Monroe Doctrine -- Isolationism in the Twentieth Century -- Chapter 8: Manifest Destiny and Continental Expansion -- The Roots of Manifest Destiny -- The Emancipator of Mankind -- The Mexican War -- Geographical Predestination -- American Continental Expansion -- Chapter 9: Manifest Destiny and American Imperialism -- A New Departure -- The Spanish American War -- Unlocking the Resources of the World -- The White Man's Burden -- Chapter 10: The Leader of the Free World -- World War I -- World War II: Superiority Confirmed -- The Cold War -- The Means of Violence -- Chapter 11: The Arrogance of Power -- American Interventionism.

Superiority and American Ruthlessness -- The Arrogance of Power -- The Arrogance of Unilateralism -- Part Three: The Presumption of National Superiority -- Chapter 12: The Myth of American Superiority -- Exaggerations, Overestimations, and Obsessions -- Uniqueness -- The Myth of Anglo-Saxon Superiority -- Racial Myth and National Stereotyping -- Chapter 13: Blind Faith -- The Psychology of the Masses -- Universalism, Nationalism, and Patriotism -- Part Four: Tolerance and Plurality -- Chapter 14: In Search of American Humility -- Humility and Ideology -- Humility and Pluralism -- Toward American Cultural Humility -- Bibliography -- Index.

Nationalism is not unique to America: it was invented with the birth of modern nations. But nationalism is unique in America. Americans conceive themselves and their nation to be incontrovertibly superior to the other peoples and nations of the earth. When does national pride cross the invisible boundary that separates benign patriotism and malignant nationalism?. Historically, American notions of superiority spring from myths of the unique regenerative power of the new land; from visions of chosen-ness, mission and high destiny; from the indelible legends of frontier self-sufficiency; from the confidence and self-reliance needed to succeed as immigrants; from a powerful sense of AmericaÂ's isolation and uniqueness; from the realization of abundance; and finally from the perceived universality of American ideology. This predisposes us to a distinctively virulent strain of nationalism unlike that found in almost any other modern nation. As the unipolar moment fades into memory, this sense of unquestionable superiority Â- expressed through politics and foreign policy Â- does not play well before the global audience. In fact, it never did. Drawing on sources from within the academic disciplines of history, sociology, political science and foreign affairs, the book seeks to decode scholarly jargon and lay bare this corner of the American mind for the benefit of a wider readership.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.