progressivism, individualism, and the public ... - Telmarc Group

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The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, AND THE PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL The above clearly lays out the drivers of this change and the movement. It was the apparent and oft-times real influence and dominance of many parts of the economy by certain large corporations. It was not that all elements of industry had become dominant, yet many of the most visible did. Prime amongst them were railroads which in many ways became the life lines for the farmers and those in the mid West seeking markets for their gods. Thus their near monopoly control lit the fuse of revolt which led to Progressive ideas. The CAP author's continue: Freedom, in its fullest sense, including negative freedom from undue coercion by government or society and the effective freedom of every person to lead a fulfilling and economically secure life The common good, broadly meaning a commitment in government and society to placing public needs and the concerns of the least well-off above narrow self-interest or the demands of the privileged Pragmatism, both in its philosophical form of evaluating ideas based on their real world consequences rather than abstract ideals, and in more practical terms as an approach to problem solving grounded in science, empirical evidence, and policy experimentation Equality, as first put forth by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence and updated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” Social justice, the proper arrangement of law, society, and the economy to ensure that all people have the formal and informal capacity to shape their own lives and realize their dreams Democracy, the full participation of citizens in the major decisions and debates that affect their lives Cooperation and interdependence, particularly as these ideas relate to global affairs, an overall humanitarian vision, and the importance of shared social and economic knowledge This is the framework against which the Progressive movement began. Yet there was a history of may thinkers and players before this explosion. We consider few here. 4.1 HOBBES Page 60
The Telmarc Group PROGRESSIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, AND THE PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL Hobbes was somewhat of a strange Public Intellectual. A product of the 17th century, beset by the regicide and Cromwell, a supporter of the monarchy, and an apologist for the King and his kingdom, Hobbes wrote Leviathan as a polemic to justify the reinstatement of the King and the recognition that all the Kings subjects owed allegiance to the state. In a sense he was a quintessential progressive, with the King being the embodiment of the state, and the King being the facilitator of the Progressive mandates. 4.1.1 Hobbes and Humanity Hobbes saw humanity as an unstable mass with the potential for explosive warfare and unable to reach and consensus amongst themselves without the strong hand of government 52 . To Hobbes, he saw this uncontrollable mass as the prime reason for establishing a government and further he saw the king and a strong central government as the only logical consequence. As Miller states as he discusses Hobbes 53 : "We need political authority, then, because it gives us the security that allows us to trust other people, and in a climate of trust people are able to cooperate to produce all those benefits that Hobbes listed as signally lacking in the "natural condition"." Trust means predictable. Namely if A happens then the consequence is B. For example if I enter into an agreement with someone and they agree to B if I do A, and when upon completion of A they fail to do B will the Government enforce that? Not necessarily. The Government may have its own ideas and thus the trust that Miller speaks of as the bond which is necessary to establish a government is missing. In fact it is infrequent that any one trust their government. As Hobbes had a low opinion of human nature the individualists have a low, and often well deserved, opinion of the government. Thus we call Hobbes the proto progressive because of his distrust of people and his view that a strong government, with a king, was the only solution to an effective government. Hobbes was clear in that you could not trust the people to deal with themselves, the government was essential. As Miller quotes Hobbes as regards to Hobbes view of humanity 54 : "In such conditions, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building, no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force, no Knowledge of the face of the Earth, no 52 Miller, Political Philosophy, p. 22. 53 Miller, Political, p. 23. 54 Miller, Hobbes, p./ 22. Page 61
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