Progressivism philosophy is of the view that improvements in the economy, research, and development, as well as the social organization, are important elements in improving humanity and the conditions in which humanity lives.
The role of government
Progressives saw the role of government not as political but administrative. For that reason, its expansion was necessary to enable it to deal with the social and economic challenges that the people faced at the time (Dewey, 39). Some of the challenges that arose in the late 19th century include increasing inequality due to the rise of capitalism and frequent conflicts between workers and owners of means of production.
Progressivism was against social Darwinism, which capitalism seemed to espouse, as it was a seen as a process in which progress is achieved through creative destruction (Dewey, 40). Progressivism was, however, of the view that it would be possible to attain good for all of the humanity through the provision of education, security and employment. It could only be achieved through an expanded government. An expanded government would be responsible for breaking of corporate trusts that were responsible for the economic and social challenges through federal regulations (Pestritt).
B. Naturalism
Naturalism is the belief that the laws of nature are superior and should form the basis for guiding humanity. That was the case with America’s Declaration of Independence. The constitution was seen as the only means to an end by the founding fathers of the nation. It is this belief that progressivism seeks to counter by arguing that rather than being guided by natural law we should be guided by historical progress. It encourages responding to challenges in a pragmatic manner. Progressives, therefore, attack the constitutional theory and the political-economic structure that is espoused by it (Pestritt).
The argument is that the constitution was formulated as a response to the challenges that faced the society at the time and would, therefore, not be effective in addressing emerging challenges. Naturalists are of the view that human beings are born with certain inherent rights provided by nature, and the role and size of government should be limited to allow people space to practice these freedoms. However, prominent progressives - such as Wilson Woodrow - argued that we should not be bound by the doctrines of the Declaration of Independence merely for the sake of it and that in fact government and the declaration of independence are live organisms hence not stuck in time and should therefore adapt to changing situations in the society (Pestritt).
C. Modern Liberalism
Just as is the case with classical liberalism, modern liberalism espouses the tenets of liberty of justice; however, modern liberalists are of the view that the government plays a critical role in addressing economic and social challenges facing the society (Dewey, 41). For that reason, most modern liberalists see themselves as progressives.
Its idea of social justice is one in which there is a mutual understanding on the formulation of individual rights and collectively defined roles of the state and each individual, which implicitly expands the role of government to facilitate increased voting and public participation. Modern liberalism was a fervent proponent of labor unions that were seen as a tool to protect workers’ rights in the face of corporate greed. Liberty could only be achieved through conducive economic and social conditions. These conditions could only be achieved through the existence of an intervening agent - in this case, the government.
Works Cited
Dewey, John. Liberalism and social action. New York, NY: Prometheus books, 2000
Pestritt, Ronald. “Progressivism and America's tradition of natural law and natural right" nlnrac.org, 2016 accessed [14 Mar, 2016], http://www.nlnrac.org/critics/american- progressivism
