European Dream

Author: (American) Jeremy Rifkin, translated by Yang Zhiyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Professor Jeremy Rifkin analyzes the current manifestation of the "American Dream" — although it was once an ideal envied by the world, it can no longer adapt to an increasingly risky, diverse, and interdependent world due to its excessive focus on material acquisition. From this, Professor Jeremy Rifkin proposes the idea of creating a new history with the "European Dream." He argues that the American Dream emphasizes economic growth, the accumulation of personal wealth, and independence. The new European Dream, on the other hand, focuses more on sustainable development, quality of life, and interdependence. The American Dream is loyal to the work ethic, emphasizing "living to work"; the European Dream is more aligned with leisure and deep play, advocating "working to live." The American Dream is integrative, and success can be attributed to cutting ties with traditional culture, becoming free actors in the American melting pot. Conversely, the European Dream is based on preserving original cultural identities and surviving in a multicultural world. When necessary, Americans are more willing to use military force on a global scale to protect their core interests. Europeans, however, are less inclined to use force and prefer diplomacy, economic support, and aid to avoid conflict. The American Dream is deeply personalized, rarely focusing on the rest of humanity. The European Dream, by nature, is more inclusive and holistic, making it more concerned with global well-being. In the author's view, the European Dream can liberate individuals from the old yoke of Western ideology while simultaneously connecting humanity to a new shared story. It is a dream that guides us beyond modernity and postmodernity, into the age of globalization.