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No one national character, just great English values

Reader comment on item: An American in Search of the English National Character

Submitted by Dave (United States), Jan 23, 2021 at 11:49

The great thing about the way the English zeitgeist developed was its emphasis on the individual in contrast to broader, collective themes. In that sense, the English national character is not a single abstraction that can be pinned down, because the English tend to shun abstract schemes in general.

They shun the practice of lumping people together as the "masses" or the "proletariat". They celebrate private life and its peculiarities. This is the essence of the Englishman as a free man who naturally distrusts revolutions, religious crusades, or ideologies that subordinate people to distant causes, but rather prefers gardening and hobbies.

It was no coincidence that when the fate of the free world hung in the balance, it fell to an Englishman, Winston Churchill, to articulate the most eloquent opposition to Hitler. As one can see in his historical writings, Churchill defined English values as being limited and balanced government power, individual liberty, modest foreign involvement and measured political change.

The grandiosity, hysteria and absolutism of Fascism, Islamism or Communism are utterly anathema. English values are best expressed today in the ideas of the Western conservative parties.

If there is an English national character, one may infer that it would simply be you and me, whatever we like to do, however we worship, however we lead our lives. As snobbish and class-conscious as the English may be, they paradoxically have evolved a remarkably humble philosophy of politics and life.

One may conclude that we Americans have been very fortunate to have inherited this outlook. It has been expressed concisely by our founding fathers in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, especially in their explicit direction to pursue happiness as we each see fit, instead of exhorting us to sacrifice for some program of world salvation.

It doesn't matter what your background is; as long as you believe in those values, then you are English too.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (20) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1English people are the perfect mix of western europeans features [387 words]Andrea BortolamiMar 8, 2021 14:52264575
English Commonwealth Sacrified for Globalist Ambitions of Wealth [295 words]M ToveyMar 8, 2021 18:57264575
PM Johnson Forced to Concede New Conservative Movement in England Cannot Function in Minority Fashion [294 words]M ToveyJul 7, 2022 11:49264575
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3Some Observations on English National Character [334 words]SophieJan 25, 2021 19:21263176
2What you missed [26 words]JohnJan 25, 2021 16:44263166
2What's it say when you can laugh at yourself? [79 words]JeffJan 24, 2021 17:44263144
4The greatest contribution of the British to the human species [105 words]SteinJan 24, 2021 10:22263136
Of Being British; Without Being an Englander [510 words]M ToveyJan 23, 2021 18:03263109
Chesterton on Englishness [30 words]Ann FarmerJan 23, 2021 16:38263104
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w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlexeiJan 23, 2021 15:21263100
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Searching for English/British Basis for American Take on Lost Foundational Values [393 words]M ToveyFeb 2, 2021 16:06263100
The English character today [56 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jeffrey S SheffJan 23, 2021 13:20263092
1Not British now [47 words]Bikinis not BurkasJan 23, 2021 13:11263091
1Creighton, Brexit and cricket [337 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
MalcolmJan 23, 2021 12:15263088
The British are becoming more sexual [106 words]HalJan 24, 2021 10:49263088
2No one national character, just great English values [316 words]DaveJan 23, 2021 11:49263086

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