Trump, the media, and the American Dream: The Ethical Implications of Societal Myths

When it comes to society’s myths, whether it is the American Dream, Liberalism, or Universal Human Rights, the role of the critic and the ethical implications for such academic are not clear. The critic might evaluate those myths on the basis of their “truthfulness,” but the real challenge is to develop a comprehensive ethical guide based on diversity, social responsibility, and the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Given the accelerating pace of media technologies, the creation, critique, and distribution of ethical myths is more prescient than ever. After having done a rhetorical analysis of Trump’s Presidential Announcement, I did an analysis of the ethical implications a critic must take into account when confronting societal myths such as the American Dream. Criticizing the American Dream on the basis of its “truthfulness” might lead to more suffering by either creating a nihilist vacuum and/or giving rise to a “worse” societal myth. The critic must work within current societal myth structures to “expand” rather than “constrict” the benefits of existing myths to the greatest number of people. This analysis is the first step towards a more comprehensive understanding of society’s values based on utilitarianism rather than existing societal myths