The American Mind

Catholic X account The Art of Purpose recently posted a meme comparing American architecture to European architecture, claiming “The American mind cannot comprehend.” This post, which was met with mixed responses in the comment section, may lead the average Conservative to agree, and further condemn all American cities even more than he already does. 

I, at first, didn’t know what to think of the observation. Do Americans desperately cling to their urban architecture like the crying, American flag tattooed Wojak in the picture? Are we really this wrapped up in American exceptionalism that we fail to see the superiority of the traditionalism Europe seems to be based on? Can any American truly call himself a Traditionalist if he mimics the crying Wojak? 

It is rare that I take a moderate, or even relativistic stance on anything, especially on different cultures. However I found myself agreeing with the people who questioned why both cannot be considered beautiful. 

Architecture is probably the most indicative of a society’s deepest held values. Yes, it may be captivating to stare up at a cathedral and wonder how it was built during such dark ages, but it is even more provoking to think about why people commissioned, constructed, and cared for it. These are the questions that will teach the ponderer about what the city was built on. Upon applying these questions to each set of buildings, one theme becomes glaringly obvious. This issue is not a matter of which city has plumbing, or which one has better preserved history, but a matter of roles and responsibilities on the world stage. As gothic, ancient, and historical as European architecture clearly is, it practically owes its existence in the modern world to the hegemony of the United States. 

Europe’s “Old World” aesthetic displays its Old World values. The religion it was built on has been nothing but vindicated over time, however the less divine structures such as governing practices have proven themselves to fall out of style. The founders crafted America’s government around these principles, bringing the European-style principles into the new world. 

Many beautiful works of architecture, just as the one used in the post, symbolize Europe’s rise to power by way of conviction and passion to spread civilization around the world. The Italian cathedral conveys the firm belief in a more theoretical way of competing with the rest of the world. The continent developed in a time of great piety, where most competing forces were heavily grounded in their faith. Naturally, God was brought into most everything they did. 

The Old World of Europe asked how the Church should be woven into every affair, while the revolution of thought was marked by statesmen who had begun to ask the question of if it should be there in the first place. It is simply that America, having been birthed in relative modernity, was structured around the new, changing world. Although the founders may not have realized it at the time, they were creating the system of the next inheritor of Europe’s global dominance. In a revolutionary age, the founders knew that even though we ought not to lose sight of God, we still needed to play the game to win the prize. 

As beautiful as it is, the Old World aesthetic reflects old theories of government. While there is still a place for that today, it is protected by the power of the United States, an infinitely more secure and just governing body than any European country.

Ask any foreigner what comes to mind when hearing the words “New York”, and they will most likely call to mind big shiny buildings, high sums of money, or the bustling culture of perpetually working people. When the United States became stronger than Europe, we realized that we also took on the role of protecting the customs that shaped this nation. Much like when a son grows stronger and taller than his mother, it becomes his responsibility to take care of her, and protect her from any and all harm. At times, he is still humbled by her wisdom and feels a sense of nostalgia when walking through the halls of his childhood home, but while this may seem weak of him, his love for his mother only empowers him to make the extra effort to stock her refrigerator, and make sure her taxes are paid, knowing fully that if he neglected her, and the morals he was taught as a child, his world would fall down. 

At the end of the day, the son’s primary concern should be his own family, not his mother. He is not beholden to the needs of his mother such that every time she requests his service, he ought to come, however, he still understands the importance he plays in her life. We did not completely cater to Europe’s every request in the post-war era, but we helped them recover immensely, making sure Berlin’s residents had food in their refrigerators, and their debts could be paid.

Ultimately, yes, Rome, Athens, and Madrid are all marked with architecture considerably more beautiful than that of urban America, but both types of cities are needed. It is not that the American Mind cannot comprehend. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The founders understood that it was now our job to move out from under the protective wing of the Old World and begin to shape what the New World was destined for from 1492. There will always be a protector and provider role to fill. It is perfectly fine to reject every custom of the modern world, however, losing the title of the most powerful and richest is the price for that. 

The United States only exists because of the exceptionalism of Europe. Europe only continues to exist because the United States has protected it from the evil forces that it could never stand up to alone. And for that, both worlds owe each other a great debt of gratitude.