The Progressive Society

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Essay

By the early twentieth century the belief in human progress and the progressive evolution of human history, which has been at the center of modern though since the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century, was being seriously challenged. Identify the main established concepts and traditions that were challenged, who the most influential challengers were, and the new theories, arguments, works, etc. that they produced

“The term Modernism is widely used to identify new and distinctive features in the subjects, forms, concepts, style of literature and other art in the beginning of the twentieth century.” (M.H. Abrams) The truth on the progressive thought at the end of the nineteenth century had to do with much more than just art though, it involved: science, technology, economics, religion, and politics. Ideas and thoughts that were once accepted fact were now being challenged. The movement was given prestige through the number of greater thinkers whom helped envelop it like Nietzsche, Marx, Darwin, and Freud. The background leading up to the Progressive Movement were a combination of the Industrial and Scientific Revolutions, Marxism, and the introduction of Psychology. The progressive movement could be reflected in the politics of the Classical Liberal Party.
Religion was questioned mainly by the Philosopher Nietzsche whom published work on his atheist theories. He admired personal traits that enhanced survival instead of the basic Christian traits to strive towards. He was influenced a great deal by Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution which was also of much hated debate to this day. Even Classical liberalism was challenged in the fact that it wasn’t progressive enough in its economics which eventual chang...

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... this same reason is why Classical liberalism is extinct today. The idea that governments should stay out of economics changed by a kind of arms race in the world markets which also boomed imperialism. The new liberalism taking over showed more support to the lower classes then to the businesses with new taxes and social security taking hold. This was the general emergence of the new liberalism. American politicians were some of the biggest names in the new but the same party. Theodore Roosevelt was one of these men. In conclusion the new liberalism is a lot like the old liberalism except with their focus away from free-trade and more like socialism. The global market race made it almost necessary for governments to get involved in their nations businesses yet ended up making the governments more powerful than most hardcore classical liberals could tolerate.

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