Thedeclineinmoralstandards—whichhaslongconcernedsocialanalysts—hasatlastcapturedtheattentionofaverageAmericans.AndJeanBethkeElshtain,forone,isglad.
Thefacttheordinarycitizensarenowstartingtothinkseriouslyaboutthenation’smoralclimate,saysthisethics(伦理学)professorattheUniversityofChicago,isreasontohopethatnewideaswillcomeforwardtoimproveit.
Butthechallengeisnottobeunderestimated.MaterialismandindividualisminAmericansocietyarethebiggestobstacles.“Thethoughtthat‘I’minitforme’hasbecomedeeplyrootedinthenationalconsciousness,”Ms.Elshtainsays.
Someofthiscanbeattributedtothedisintegrationoftraditionalcommunities,inwhichneighborslookedoutforoneanother,shesays.Withtoday’sgreatermobilityandwithsomanycouplesworking,thosebondshavebeenweakened,replacedbyagreateremphasisonself.
Ina1996pollofAmericans,lossofmoralitytoppedthelistofthebiggestproblemsfacingtheU.S.andElshtainsaysthepubliciscorrecttosensethat:DatashowthatAmericansarestrugglingwithproblemsunheardofinthe1950s,suchasclassroomviolenceandahighrateofbirthstounmarriedmothers.
Thedesireforahighermoralstandardisnotalament(挽歌)forsomenonexistent“goldenage,”Elshtainsays,norisitawishful(一厢情愿的)longingforatimethatdeniedopportunitiestowomenandminorities.Mostpeople,infact,favorthelesseningofprejudice.
Moraldeclinewillnotbereverseduntilpeoplefindwaystocounterthematerialisminsociety,shesays.“Slowly,yourecognizethatthethingsthatmatterarethosethatcant’bebought.”
1.ProfessorElshtainispleasedtoseethatAmericans________.
A)haveadaptedtoanewsetofmoralstandards
B)arelongingforthereturnofthegoodolddays
C)haverealizedtheimportanceofmaterialthings
D)areawakeningtotheloweringoftheirmoralstandards
2.ThemoraldeclineofAmericansocietyiscausedmanlyby________.
B)theself-centerednessofindividuals
C)underestimatingtheimpactofsocialchanges
D)theprejudiceagainstwomenandminorities
3.Whichofthefollowingcharacterizesthetraditionalcommunities?
B)Concernforone’sneighbors.
C)Emphasisonindividualeffort.
D)Ever-weakeningsocialbonds.
4.Inthe1950s,classroomviolence________.
B)wasbynomeansarareoccurrence
C)attractedalotofpubicattention
D)begantoappearinanalysts’data
5.AccordingtoElshtain,thecurrentmoraldeclinemaybereversed________.
A)ifpeoplecanreturntothe“goldenage”
B)whenwomenandmeanenjoyequalrights
C)whenpeopleridthemselvesofprejudice
D)iflessemphasisislaidonmaterialthings
