Progressivism is a left-leaning

political philosophy Political philosophy studies the theoretical and conceptual foundations of politics. It examines the nature, scope, and Political legitimacy, legitimacy of political institutions, such as State (polity), states. This field investigates different ...

and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human societies everywhere. Progressivism arose during the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...

out of the belief that

civility Civility may denote orderly behavior and politeness. Historically, civility also meant training in the humanities. Developmental model Adolf G. Gundersen and Suzanne Goodney Lea developed a civility model grounded in empirical data that "stresse ...

in Europe was improving due to the application of new empirical knowledge.Harold Mah
''Enlightenment Phantasies: Cultural Identity in France and Germany, 1750–1914''
Cornell University. (2003). p. 157. In modern political discourse, progressivism is often associated with social liberalism, a left-leaning type of liberalism, and

social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

. Within economic progressivism, there is some ideological variety on the social liberal to social democrat continuum, as well as occasionally some variance on cultural issues; examples of this include some Christian democrat and conservative-leaning communitarian movements. While many ideologies can fall under the banner of progressivism, both the current and historical movement are characterized by a critique of unregulated capitalism, desiring a more active democratic government to take a role in safeguarding

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

, bringing about cultural development, and being a check-and-balance on corporate monopolies. There are differences in specific approaches between factions, including capitalist-leaning social liberals and social democrats versus some anti-capitalist democratic socialists.

History

From the Enlightenment to the Industrial Revolution

Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works ...

identified progress as being a movement away from barbarism toward

civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

. 18th-century philosopher and political scientist Marquis de Condorcet predicted that political progress would involve the disappearance of

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, the rise of literacy, the lessening of sex inequality, reform of prisons, which at the time were harsh, and the decline of poverty.

Modernity Modernity, a topic in the humanities and social sciences, is both a historical period (the modern era) and the ensemble of particular Society, socio-Culture, cultural Norm (social), norms, attitudes and practices that arose in the wake of the ...

or modernisation 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 modernisation of the economy and society to remove the traditional hindrances to free markets and the free movements of people. In the late 19th century, a political view rose in popularity in the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...

that progress was being stifled by vast economic inequality between the rich and the poor, minimally regulated '' laissez-faire'' capitalism with out-of-control monopolistic

corporation A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...

s, intense and often violent conflict between capitalists and workers, with a need for measures to address these problems. Progressivism has influenced various political movements. Social liberalism was influenced by British liberal philosopher

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism and social liberalism, he contributed widely to s ...

's conception of people being "progressive beings." British Prime Minister

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

developed progressive conservatism under one-nation Toryism. In France, the space between social revolution and the socially conservative ''laissez-faire''

centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...

was filled with the emergence of radicalism which thought that social progress required anti-clericalism,

humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...

, and

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...

. Especially anti-clericalism was the dominant influence on the

centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...

in many French- and Romance-speaking countries until the mid-20th century. In Imperial Germany, Chancellor

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

enacted various progressive social welfare measures out of paternalistic conservative motivations to distance workers from the socialist movement of the time and as humane ways to assist in maintaining the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

. In 1891, the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

encyclical '' Rerum novarum'' issued by Pope Leo XIII condemned the exploitation of labor and urged support for

labor unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

and government regulation of businesses in the interests of social justice while upholding the property right and criticising socialism. A progressive

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

outlook called the Social Gospel emerged in North America that focused on challenging economic exploitation and poverty and, by the mid-1890s, was common in many Protestant theological seminaries in the United States. Early 20th-century progressivism included support for American engagement in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the creation of and participation in the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

, compulsory sterilisation in Scandinavia, and eugenics in Great Britain, and the temperance movement. Progressives believed that progress was stifled by economic inequality, inadequately regulated monopolistic corporations, and conflict between workers and elites, arguing that corrective measures were needed.

Contemporary political conception of the philosophy

In the United States, progressivism began as an intellectual rebellion against the political philosophy of Constitutionalism as expressed by

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...

and the Founding Fathers of the American Republic, whereby the authority of government depends on observing limitations on its just powers. What began as a

social movement A social movement is either a loosely or carefully organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a Social issue, social or Political movement, political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to re ...

in the 1890s grew into a popular

political movement A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some t ...

referred to as the Progressive Era; in the 1912 United States presidential election, all three U.S. presidential candidates claimed to be progressives. While the term ''progressivism'' represents a range of diverse political pressure groups, not always united, progressives rejected social Darwinism, believing that the problems society faced, such as class warfare, greed,

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

and violence, could best be addressed by providing good education, a safe environment, and an efficient workplace. Progressives lived mainly in the cities, were college educated, and believed in a strong central government. President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

of the Republican Party and later the Progressive Party declared that he "always believed that wise progressivism and wise conservatism go hand in hand." President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

was also a member of the American progressive movement within the Democratic Party. Progressive stances have evolved. Imperialism was a controversial issue within progressivism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the United States, where some progressives supported American imperialism while others opposed it. In response to

, President

's Fourteen Points established the concept of national

self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...

and criticised imperialist competition and colonial injustices. Anti-imperialists supported these views in areas resisting imperial rule. During the period of acceptance of economic Keynesianism (the 1930s–1970s), there was widespread acceptance in many nations of a large role for state intervention in the economy. With the rise of neoliberalism and challenges to state interventionist policies in the 1970s and 1980s,

progressive movements responded by adopting the

Third Way The Third Way is a predominantly centrist political position that attempts to reconcile centre-right and centre-left politics by advocating a varying synthesis of Right-wing economics, right-wing economic and Left-wing politics, left-wing so ...

, which emphasised a major role for the market economy. There have been social democrats who have called for the social-democratic movement to move past Third Way. Prominent progressive conservative elements in the British Conservative Party have criticised neoliberalism. In the 21st century, progressives continue to favour

public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a Group decision-making, decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to Problem solving, solve or address relevant and problematic social issues, guided by a conceptio ...

that they theorise will reduce or lessen the harmful effects of economic inequality as well as systemic discrimination such as institutional racism; to advocate for social safety nets and workers' rights; and to oppose

corporate A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of s ...

influence on the democratic process. The unifying theme is to call attention to the negative impacts of current institutions or ways of doing things and to advocate for social progress, i.e., for positive change as defined by any of several standards such as the expansion of

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

, increased

egalitarianism Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hum ...

in the form of

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and social equality as well as improved well-being of a population. Proponents of social democracy have identified themselves as promoting the progressive cause.

Types

Cultural progressivism

Progressivism, in the general sense, mainly means social and cultural progressivism. The term '' cultural liberalism'' is used in a substantially similar context and can be said to be a synonym for cultural progressivism. Unlike progressives in a broader sense, some cultural progressives may be economically centrist,

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, or politically libertarian. The Czech Pirate Party is classified as a (cultural or social) progressive party, and it calls itself "economically centrist and socially liberal".

Economic progressivism

''Economic progressivism''—also ''New Progressive Economics''—is a term used to distinguish it from ''progressivism'' in cultural fields. Economic progressives may draw from a variety of economic traditions, including democratic capitalism,

democratic socialism Democratic socialism is a left-wing economic ideology, economic and political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and wor ...

, and social liberalism. Overall, economic progressives' views are rooted in the concept of social justice and the

common good In philosophy, Common good (economics), economics, and political science, the common good (also commonwealth, common weal, general welfare, or public benefit) is either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, o ...

, and aim to improve the human condition through government regulation, social protections and the maintenance of

public goods In economics, a public good (also referred to as a social good or collective good)Oakland, W. H. (1987). Theory of public goods. In Handbook of public economics (Vol. 2, pp. 485–535). Elsevier. is a goods, commodity, product or service that ...

. Some economic progressives may show

views on cultural issues. These movements are related to communitarian conservative movements such as

Christian democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...

and one-nation conservatism.

Techno progressivism

An early mention of ''techno-progressivism'' appeared in 1999 as the removal of "all political, cultural, biological, and psychological limits to self-actualization and self-realization". According to techno-progressivism, scientific and technical aspects of progress are linked to ethical and social developments in society. Therefore, according to the majority of techno-progressive viewpoints, advancements in science and technology will not be considered proper progress until and unless they are accompanied by a fair distribution of the costs, risks, and rewards of these new capabilities. Many techno-progressive critics and supporters believe that while improved democracy, increased justice, decreased violence, and a broader culture of rights are all desirable, they are insufficient on their own to address the problems of modern technological societies unless and until they are accompanied by scientific and technological advancements that uphold and apply these ideals.

Progressive parties or parties with progressive factions

Current parties

* : Solidarity Party of Afghanistan * : Union for the Homeland (factions) * : Australian Greens, Fusion Party, Reason Party,

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...

(factions) * : Ecolo, Groen * : Workers' Party,

Brazilian Socialist Party The Brazilian Socialist Party (, PSB) is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organised in 1989 after the re-democratisation of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 201 ...

(factions), Democratic Labour Party, Socialism and Liberty Party * :

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

, New Democratic Party, Canadian Future Party * : Broad Front, Liberal Party of Chile * : Humane Colombia * : Social Democratic Party * : Czech Pirate PartySlawek Blitch
Finally, a healthy dose of anti-establishment
politicalcritique.org. 8 January 2018.Katerina Safarikova
"Czechs Eye 'Symbolic' Pirate Breakthrough in Europe"
/balkaninsight.com. 21 May 2019. * : Radical Party of the Left,

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

* : Volt Germany, Alliance 90/The Greens, Party of Humanists * :

Syriza The Coalition of the Radical Left – Progressive Alliance (), best known by the syllabic abbreviation SYRIZA ( ; ; a pun on the Greek adverb , meaning "from the roots" or "radically"), is a Centre-left politics, centre-left to Left-wing politi ...

, Course of Freedom * : Democratic Coalition * : Possible, Green Europe * : Green Party of Indonesia * : Social Democratic Party, Japanese Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi * : Vetëvendosje * : Kuwaiti Progressive Movement * : Morena, Party of the Democratic Revolution, Citizens' Movement * : Democrats 66, GroenLinks, PvdA * :

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major List of political parties in Pakistan, Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a Cent ...

* : Purple Party * : Akbayan * : Polish Initiative,

New Left The New Left was a broad political movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s and continued through the 1970s. It consisted of activists in the Western world who, in reaction to the era's liberal establishment, campaigned for freer ...

, Left Together, Polish Socialist Party, The Greens,

Civic Platform The Civic Platform (, PO)The party is officially the Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland (''Platforma Obywatelska Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''). is a Centre-right politics, centre-right liberal conservative political party in Poland. Since ...

(faction) * : Socialist Party, Left Bloc, People Animals Nature, LIVRE, Volt Portugal * : Save Romania Union, Democracy and Solidarity Party, Volt Romania, Health Education Nature Sustainability Party * : Yabloko * : Party of the Radical Left * : Progress Singapore Party * : Progressive Slovakia * : Justice Party, Progressive Party, Mirae Party * : Spanish Socialist Worker's Party, Más Madrid, Sumar, Republican Left of Catalonia * : Democratic Progressive Party, New Power Party, Taiwan People's Party (factions) * : Thai Liberal Party, People's Party * :

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...

* : Green Party of England and Wales, Labour Party (factions), Liberal Democrats (factions), Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru,

Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (M ...

, Transform * : Democratic Party (factions), Working Families Party, Green Party of the United States * : Popular Will

Former parties

* : Front for Victory * : Progressive Party of Canada * : Social Convergence * : Movement Party, Opportunist Republicans * : Demosisto * : Society for the Progress of Iran * : Meretz *: Japan Socialist Party * : Free-thinking Democratic League * : Jim Anderton's Progressive Party * : Sindh National Front * : Spring, Your Movement * : Romanian Social Party, National Union for the Progress of Romania * : Progressive Party (1956), Democratic Labor Party, New Progressive Party, Unified Progressive Party * : Unidas Podemos * : Move Forward Party * : Progressive Party (1912), Progressive Party (1924), Progressive Party (1948)

References

Citations

Sources

* Dudley, Larkin Sims. "Enduring narratives from progressivism." ''International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior'' 7.3 (2003): 315–340. * Eisenach, Eldon J., ed. ''Social and Political Thought of American Progressivism.'' (Hackett Publishing, 2006). * Frohman, Larry. "The Break-Up of the Poor Laws—German Style: Progressivism and the Origins of the Welfare State, 1900–1918." ''Comparative Studies in Society and History'' 50.4 (2008): 981–1009. * Jackson, Ben. "Equality and the British Left: A study in progressive political thought, 1900-64." in ''Equality and the British Left'' (2013) * Kloppenberg, James T. ''Uncertain Victory: Social Democracy and Progressivism in European and American Thought, 1870–1920''. Oxford University Press, US, 1988. . * Lakoff, George. ''Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate''. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2004. . * Link, Arthur S. and McCormick, Richard L. ''Progressivism (American History Series)''. Harlan Davidson, 1983. . * McGerr, Michael. ''A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870–1920''. 2003. * Nugent, Walter. ''Progressivism: A very short introduction'' (Oxford University Press, 2009). * Petrow, Stefan. "Progressivism in Australia: the case of John Daniel Fitzgerald, 1900-1922." ''Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society'' 90.1 (2004): 53–74. * Sawyer, Stephen, and William J. Novak. "Emancipation and the creation of modern liberal states in America and France." ''Journal of the civil war era'' 3.4 (2013): 467–500
online
* Schutz, Aaron
''Social Class, Social Action, and Education: The Failure of Progressive Democracy''
Palgrave, Macmillan, 2010. . * Tröhler, Daniel
''Progressivism''
In: ''Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education''. Oxford University Press, 2017.

External links

Progressivism
– entry at the ''

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'' {{Authority control Centre-left ideologies Democratic socialism Green politics Justice Left-wing ideologies Liberal socialism Liberalism Political ideologies Political movements Social change Social democracy Social justice Social liberalism Social movements Sociocultural evolution theory