Perhaps, John Adams never lived to understand, but this does not prevent him from being great.
In Weber's "Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism", the "virtues" that bind asceticism and utilitarianism are regarded as the basis of the spirit of capitalism, and it is also mentioned that "the Germans believe that the 'virtues' of the Americans are all" Hypocrisy', although the truth is not so simple". Take Franklin, who was the founding father of the country with Adams as an example. And although Adams was the first vice president and the second president, he was not included in the "Founding Three Heroes", and even when people looked back on the bipartisan politics and the Federalist's prose, Adams did not attract attention. Too much attention. And it is such a person who is almost submerged in world history, but he is undoubtedly a model and representative of American spirit and Protestant ethics. He defended the British soldiers by upholding justice and justice, and fought against the will of the people despite his own failures in order to maintain the precious peace between the United States and France. He fought for truth and freedom. He was stubborn, stubborn and often ignorant of "reasonableness" and "sophistication." Not only that, but he is almost harsh to the children, not "kindness", but teaching like winter and steel. But he has always adhered to the virtues that form the foundation of the United States: truth-seeking and pragmatic, sincere and progressive, rational and fair.
But there is one thing to say. There are also regrets in this play. Although Adams was in Europe in 1787, his influence and ideas were never confined to Europe. For some reason, his influence on the constitution was not mentioned. Apart from US-French relations during the Adams administration, was the rest really insignificant?
1. Freedom must be taken by itself: America's spiritual father
Dr. Rush is evaluated in the play:
"You and Jefferson are like the North and South poles of the American Revolution...you built America intellectually."
The founding of the United States was not the same hatred as imagined. It was always full of contradictions, disputes, and calculations of interests. The initially wavering but clear-minded Virginia landowners (such as Washington and Jefferson), the precarious Massachusetts (such as Boston), Adams came from here), New York, fearful of being "faithful" to Britain, and Pennsylvania (Franklin), which was at the mercy of the wind, threw the Continental Congress into chaos. And it was Adams who first proposed the establishment of an independent state, or death without union, and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence for the first time. land, in Adams' thinking. Among the difficulties and hardships, the viewers all felt the same (thanks to the screenwriters for restoring this truth, the greatness of history is also born in the ordinary of all beings).
2. Willing to be cut: the clumsy newbie in diplomacy
The establishment of the United States, France is the real "contribution", and the responsibility of this difficult request for help is also on Adams' shoulders. Perhaps the sages did not like the stubborn hedgehog and "exiled" him to Europe and sent him to compete with the cunning Franklin. Adams was forced to separate from his family again and go to Western Europe to seek military aid and loans. But his clumsy, unsmooth, and inflexible personality made him considered a true "country man", out of place among Parisian fans. Conflicts broke out with Franklin many times. Franklin was able to take a mandarin duck bath with the wrinkled but graceful French lady, but Adams could only answer his mission cowardly but sincerely and forcefully:
"I must study politics and war, so that my sons may be free to study mathematics and philosophy; my sons should study mathematics, philosophy, geography, commerce, agriculture, sailing and trade, so that their children may be free to study Painting, poetry and music."
Repeatedly feuding with Franklin, and then rushing to borrow money from the mercenary Dutch, the good news from Washington finally brought some success to his troubled diplomacy in Europe. But unfortunately, he was sent to approach his old nemesis, England, which put Adams, the "subversive" of colonial rule, in an awkward position, but he set off again for the good of the United States, although in London, no one would like him , full of all kinds of humiliation, indifference, and reproach.
3. Thorn-headed President: Stubborn American Public Servant
Adams returned from Europe gloriously. Although he was Washington's vice president, he was often on the edge of power. At this time, Hamilton and Jefferson quarreled in front of Washington. Washington took the initiative to retire after 8 years. , but the outbreak of the French Revolution set off a huge storm in the United States. The United States survived in the cracks of Britain and France. The British peace strategy of Washington and Adams angered the French revolutionaries. The new French regime was fighting to the death, and even his most loyal adviser, Mrs. Adams (who should be credited for roughly two-thirds of Adams's life, true god), urged him to "stand with the people." And he refused to start a war, while offending Hamilton who intended to use war to build a strong country (I think he may be deeply Machiavelli...), and Jefferson for a long time (offended very early), and Therefore, if you lose the election, you will hand over the White House that has not been completely renovated. But this public servant of conscience took this defeat in stride, because he never had self-interest beyond his reputation in his heart:
"Blood for re-election, Mr. Marshall, is not a victory at all!"
In contrast to today's politics, it's all about House of Cards.
4. Stubborn conscience means noble soul and wisdom
After Mrs. Adams's death, Adams and Jefferson reconciled and exchanged letters. By this time, many of the fathers had died, and Adams was constantly worried that the history of the revolution had been misinterpreted and exaggerated, but this fear never became a reality. Therefore, when Adams saw the painting of "Continental Congress Signing the Declaration of Independence", which became famous all over the world and appeared in countless textbooks, the old man became infuriated again and kept asking the author why he made up this scene, harshly and ruthlessly. Criticizing, and after the criticism, only the sentimentality of the stars withered and the regret of history being played with:
"We can't let our descendants be fascinated by things made up, even under the guise of idealization or artistic play. I think the real history of this American Revolution is gone, gone forever..."
His warning should be remembered and practiced, and it should be the stubborn conscience of thousands of years of history.
Adams and Jefferson, the founding stars of the United States, both died on the 50th National Day (1826.7.4) of the United States. When Adams died, he left a famous last word: "Thomas Jefferson survives", after 90 years of stubborn life. Westerners say that people are not extreme when they are 20 years old, they are heartless, and they are extreme when they are 40 years old, but they have no brains, but Adams's 90-year life may be trying his best to reconcile the two and support his conscience to live a serious life. with thinking.
Calm, pragmatic, diligent, do everything possible to run for the public, and clumsily step in the political arena; thrifty, labor, tenacity, turn a blind eye to wealth and luxury, adhere to a simple but powerful life belief; stubborn, strict, brave, lifelong pursuit of freedom and Just, honor honor and virtue as treasures.
He may have been submerged in history, he may have never lived to understand it, or he may have always been unremarkable, but this does not prevent him from being great, so pure and great, just like the Protestants in Weber's writings.
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