Progressivism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Progressivism is the support for or advocacy of social reform.[1] As a philosophy, it is based on the Idea of
Progress, which asserts that advancements in science, technology, economic development, and social
organiza on are vital to the improvement of the human condi on. Progressivism became highly significant
during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, out of the belief that Europe was demonstra ng that socie es
could progress in civility from uncivilized condi ons to civiliza on through strengthening the basis of
empirical knowledge as the founda on of society.[2] Figures of the Enlightenment believed that progress
had universal applica on to all socie es and that these ideas would spread across the world from
Europe.[2] The meanings of progressivism have varied over me and from different perspec ves. The
contemporary common poli cal concep on of progressivism in the culture of the Western world emerged
from the vast social changes brought about by industrializa on in the Western world in the late 19th
century, par cularly out of the view that progress was being s fled by vast economic inequality between
the rich and the poor; minimally regulated laissez-faire capitalism with monopolis c corpora ons; and
intense and o en violent conflict between workers and capitalists, thus claiming that measures were
needed to address these problems.[3]

The term is also now o en used as shorthand for a more or less le -wing way of looking at the world.[4]

Contents
1 Progressivism in philosophy and poli cs
1.1 From the Enlightenment to the Industrial Revolu on
1.2 Contemporary mainstream poli cal concep on
2 See also
3 References

Progressivism in philosophy and poli cs

From the Enlightenment to the Industrial Revolu on

Immanuel Kant iden fied progress as being a movement away from barbarism towards civiliza on.
Eighteenth century philosopher and poli cal scien st Marquis de Condorcet predicted that poli cal
progress would involve the disappearance of slavery, the rise of literacy, the lessening of inequali es
between the sexes, reforms of harsh prisons and the decline of poverty.[5] "Modernity" or "moderniza on"
was a key form of the idea of progress as promoted by classical liberals in the 19th and 20th centuries, who
called for the rapid moderniza on of the economy and society to remove the tradi onal hindrances to free
markets and free movements of people.[6] German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was
influen al in promo ng the Idea of Progress in European philosophy by emphasizing a linear-progressive
concep on of history and rejec ng a cyclical concep on of history. Karl Marx applied to his wri ngs the
Hegelian concep on of linear-progressive history, the moderniza on of the economy through
industrializa on, and cri cisms of the social class structure of industrial capitalist socie es. As
industrializa on, and cri cisms of the social class structure of industrial capitalist socie es. As
industrializa on grew, concerns over its effects grew beyond Marxist and other radical cri ques and
became mainstream.

Contemporary mainstream poli cal concep on

John Gast, American Progress, c. 1872.
The right side of the pain ng shows
white se lers and modern technology
arriving and the area is depicted in
brightness. The le side of the pain ng
shows indigenous people and wildlife
leaving and the area is depicted in
darkness. In the middle is an angelic
female representa on of "manifest
des ny" – the concept and agenda that
promoted westward territorial
expansion of the United States as a
necessity.
by the mid-1890s the Social Gospel was common in many Protestant theological seminaries in the United
States.[14] In 1892, during a major poli cal contest between landlords and tenants, the landlord advocates
were known as the "moderates" and the land value tax reformers were known as the "progressives".[15]
In the late 19th century, a poli cal view rose in popularity in the
Western world that progress was being s fled by vast economic
inequality between the rich and the poor, minimally regulated
laissez-faire capitalism with out-of-control monopolis c
corpora ons, intense and o en violent conflict between workers
and capitalists, and a need for measures to address these
problems.[7] Progressivism has influenced various poli cal
movements. Modern liberalism was influenced by liberal
philosopher John Stuart Mill's concep on of people being
"progressive beings".[8] Bri sh Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli
developed progressive conserva sm under "One Na on"
Toryism.[9][10] Similarly in Germany, Chancellor O o von Bismarck
enacted various progressive social welfare measures out of
conserva ve mo va ons to distance workers from the socialist
movement and as humane ways to assist in maintaining the
Industrial Revolu on.[11] Proponents of social democracy have
iden fied themselves as promo ng the progressive cause.[12] The
Catholic Church encyclical Rerum novarum issued by Pope Leo XIII
in 1891, condemned the exploita on of labour and urged support
for labour unions, government regula on of businesses in the
interests of social jus ce, while upholding the rights of private
property and cri cizing socialism.[13] A Protestant progressive
outlook called the Social Gospel emerged in North America that
focused on challenging economic exploita on and poverty, and

In America, progressivism began as a social movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and grew
into a poli cal movement, in what was known as the Progressive Era. While the term "American
progressives" represent a range of diverse poli cal pressure groups (not always united), some American
progressives rejected Social Darwinism, believing that the problems society faced (poverty, violence, greed,
racism, class warfare) could best be addressed by providing good educa on, a safe environment, and an
efficient workplace. Progressives lived mainly in the ci es, were college educated, and believed that
government could be a tool for change.[16] American President Theodore Roosevelt of the US Republican
Party and later the US Progressive Party declared that he "always believed that wise progressivism and
wise conserva sm go hand in hand".[17] American President Woodrow Wilson was also a member of the
American progressive movement within the Democra c Party.

Progressive stances have evolved over me. In the late 19th century, for example, certain progressives
Progressive stances have evolved over me. In the late 19th century, for example, certain progressives
argued for scien fic racism on the grounds that it had a scien fic basis.[18] Other progressives holding both
Chris an and racist beliefs jus fied racism on biblical text.[19][20] Modern progressives now tend to
describe race as merely a social construct[21] no ng that gene c markers are not exclusive to any race of
people, and that human races do not even exist biologically. [22][23][24] Imperialism was a controversial
issue within progressivism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, par cularly in the United States where
some progressives supported American imperialism, while others opposed it.[25]

In response to World War I, progressive President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points established the
concept of na onal self-determina on and cri cized imperialist compe on and colonial injus ces; these
views were supported by an -imperialists in areas of the world that were resis ng imperial rule.[26] During
the period of acceptance of economic Keynesianism, circa 1920s to 1970s, there was widespread
acceptance in many na ons of a large role for state interven on in the economy. However, with the rise of
neoliberalism and challenges to state interven onist policies in the 1970s and 1980s, centre-le
progressive movements responded by crea ng the Third Way that emphasized a major role for the market
economy.[27] In the a ermath of the arising of the Great Recession, economic policies established or
influenced by neoliberalism have faced scru ny and cri cism in mainstream poli cs. There have been
social democrats who have called for the social democra c movement to move past Third Way.[28]
Prominent progressive conserva ve elements in the Bri sh Conserva ve Party have cri cized
neoliberalism.[29]

See also
Social and poli cal philosophy portal

References
Notes

1. "Defini on of progressivism in English" (h ps://en.oxforddic onaries.com/defini on/progressivism).

oxforddic onaries.com. Oxford English Dic onary. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
2. Harold Mah. Enlightenment Phantasies: Cultural Iden ty in France and Germany, 1750–1914 (h ps://books.goo
gle.com/?id=WVlGIelNNNcC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false). Cornell University. (2003). p. 157.
3. Nugent, Walter (2010). Progressivism: A Very Short Introduc on. Oxford University Press. p. 2.
ISBN 9780195311068.
4. Brian Wheeler (26 November 2010). "So what exactly is 'progressive' in poli cs?" (h p://www.bbc.com/news/uk
-poli cs-11785483). BBC News. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
5. Nisbet, Robert (1980). History of the Idea of Progress. New York: Basic Books. ch 5
6. Joyce Appleby; Lynn Hunt & Margaret Jacob (1995). Telling the Truth about History (h ps://books.google.com/?i
d=O0aCcnVcbZcC&pg=78). p. 78.
7. Nugent, Walter (2010). Progressivism: A Very Short Introduc on. Oxford University Press. p. 2.
ISBN 9780195311068.
8. Alan Ryan. The Making of Modern Liberalism. p. 25.
9. Patrick Dunleavy, Paul Joseph Kelly, Michael Moran. Bri sh Poli cal Science: Fi y Years of Poli cal Studies.
Oxford, England, UK; Malden, Massachuse s: Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. pp. 107–08.
10. Robert Blake. Disraeli. Second Edi on. London, England, UK: Eyre & Spo swoode (Publishers) Ltd, 1967. p. 524.
 11. Union Contribu ons to Labor Welfare Policy and Prac ce: Past, Present and Future. Routledge, 16, 2013. p. 172.
12. Henning Meyer, Jonathan Rutherford. The Future of European Social Democracy: Building the Good Society.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. p. 108.
13. Faith Jaycox. The Progressive Era. New York, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2005. p. 85.
14. Faith Jaycox. The Progressive Era. New York, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2005. p. 84.
15. Johnson, Alfred S. (1893). The Quarterly Register of Current History; Volume 2: The Year of 892 (h ps://archive.o
rg/details/cyclopedicreview02bostuo ). Detroit: Current History Publishing Company. p. 40. Retrieved
23 February 2016. "The landlord element style themselves 'Moderates,' and the tenant element are known as
'Progressives'."
16. he Progressive Era (1890–1920) (h p://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/progressive-era.cfm), The
Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project (retrieved 31 September 2014).
17. Jonathan Lurie. William Howard Ta : The Travails of a Progressive Conserva ve. New York, New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2012. p. 196.
18. Nugent, Walter (2010). Progressivism: A Very Short Introduc on. Oxford University Press. p. 54.
ISBN 9780195311068.
19. Sankar-Gorton, Eliza. "The Surprising Science of Race and Racism" (h p://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/3
0/racism-race-explained-science-anthropologist_n_7687842.html). Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
20. Thompson, Amanda. "Scien fic Racism: The Jus fica on of Slavery and Segregated Educa on in America" (h
p://pat.tamu.edu/journal/vol-1/thompson.pdf) (PDF). Texas A&M University: Phi Alpha Theta. Retrieved
1 August 2015.
21. Indre Viskontas, Chris Mooney. "The Science of Your Racist Brain" (h p://www.motherjones.com/environment/2
014/05/inquiring-minds-david-amodio-your-brain-on-racism). Mother Jones. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
22. "Gene cally Speaking, Race Doesn't Exist In Humans" (h p://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/10/9810080
51724.htm). Science Daily (1998). Washington University of St. Louis. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
23. Rutherford, Adam. "Why racism is not backed by science" (h ps://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/0
1/racism-science-human-genomes-darwin). The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
24. Svokos, Alexandra. "Bill Nye Tells Rutgers Grads: We Are 'Much More Alike Than Different' " (h p://www.huffingt
onpost.com/2015/05/20/bill-nye-rutgers-commencement_n_7338214.html). Huffington Post. Retrieved
1 August 2015.
25. Nugent, Walter (2010). Progressivism: A Very Short Introduc on. Oxford University Press. p. 33.
ISBN 9780195311068.
26. Reconsidering Woodrow Wilson: Progressivism, Interna onalism, War, and Peace. p. 309.
27. Jane Lewis, Rebecca Surender. Welfare State Change: Towards a Third Way?. Oxford University Press, 2004. pp.
3–4, 16.
28. A er the Third Way: The Future of Social Democracy in Europe. I. B. Taurus, 2012. p. 47.
29. Hugh Bochel. The Conserva ve Party and Social Policy. The Policy Press, 2011. p. 108.

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edi on, 2003. ISBN 0-393-92426-2.
Lakoff, George. Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate. Chelsea Green
Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-931498-71-7.
Kelleher, William J. Progressive Logic: Framing A Unified Field Theory of Values For Progressives. The
Empathic Science Ins tute, 2005. ISBN 0-9773717-1-9.
Kloppenberg, James T.. Uncertain Victory: Social Democracy and Progressivism in European and
American Thought, 1870–1920. Oxford University Press, U.S., 1988. ISBN 0-19-505304-4.
Link, Arthur S. and McCormick, Richard L.. Progressivism (American History Series). Harlan Davidson,
1983. ISBN 0-88295-814-3.
 McGerr, Michael. A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America,
1870–1920. 2003.
Schutz, Aaron. Social Class, Social Ac on, and Educa on: The Failure of Progressive Democracy (h
p://www.educa onac on.org/). Palgrave, Macmillan, 2010. ISBN 978-0-230-10591-1.

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Categories: Le -wing poli cs Progressivism Poli cal ideologies Poli cal movements
Sociocultural evolu on theory

This page was last edited on 10 July 2017, at 09:28.

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