Progressivism: Utilitarianism, Georgism, and Comtism, just like the Fabians

PGA Weblog ^

[ProgressingAmerica]

From Edward Pease' "History of the Fabian Society", Chapter 1 - The Sources of Fabian Socialism - is opened this way:

The ideas of the early eighties—The epoch of Evolution—Sources of Fabian ideas—Positivism—Henry George—John Stuart Mill—Robert Owen—Karl Marx—The Democratic Federation—"The Christian Socialist"—Thomas Davidson

This list is curiously similar to what's found in the evolution of progressivism:(the major points are in order based on their listing as excerpted above)

Positivism. Developed by Auguste Comte - there were Positivist ideals right here in the US in the progressive movement. Last week I wrote "Herbert Croly was raised on Comtean beliefs", in which I limited the discourse to the original source's content. Beyond Croly's father and his influence upon his son, there was a "Positivist Church" right here in the states, in New York. It's influence may be limited when compared to other larger movements of the day(such as Georgism or Nationalism), but it did have a notable influence with one of the unions in the area, and Gillis Harp points out that those who were in attendance were the key opinion-makers of their day. Another of Harp's works includes this one about Positivism and Progressivism for those interested. The chapter on the Crolys is fairly compelling.(Google books has a page limit)

Henry George. Henry George's writings were pretty important in the era that preceded/led to the progressive era. Also, as noted above, George had an impact upon the Fabians as well. Georgist ideas were very popular amongst the Unions of the day(using his book for educational purposes), which supported his run for Mayor of N.Y. City.

John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism, present within both the Fabian as well as progressive movements.

Robert Owen. I've never gone into detail about Owen. But Owen, amongst many others set up these socialist cooperatives around the United States, which were certainly influential in their day because they kept being built. Late in the 19th century, colonies based on George's ideas started popping up.

Christian Socialism. I have not yet gone into details much on this one, though I've swerved into it many times. Richard T. Ely (Who I've written about recently) was a leader of Christian Socialism. So too was the founder of the Fabian Society here in America, W. D. P. Bliss.

Thomas Davidson. Pease' writing describes Davidson this way:

Thomas Davidson was the occasion rather than the cause of the founding of the Fabian Society. His socialism was ethical and individual rather than economic and political. He was spiritually a descendant of the Utopians of Brook Farm and the Phalanstery, and what he yearned for was something in the nature of a community of superior people withdrawn from the world because of its wickedness, and showing by example how a higher life might be led.

That's the opening paragraph of the relevant section. Few notes: First, Brook Farm was in America(see above comments regarding Owen) Second, Phalanstery is a nod to Charles Fourier, who inspired many of the socialist communities built here in the US.

As to the description, note how he writes "showed by example how a higher life might be led". This could easily be a descriptor for the book Looking Backward, written by Edward Bellamy. But instead of a personal example in himself, Bellamy provides it in the book in Julian West and the plot line of the model society.

I highlight all of this to show how historically similar that progressivism is to the Fabians not just in tactics(making progress) but also in the evolution of how they came to be.

The obvious ones as listed above are Evolution(and it's other half, eugenics), and Karl Marx. The progressives, just like the Fabians, prefer to reject Revolution and engage in Evolution.(Disruption and subversion, making progress in small steps)

And then there are the clear differences. The time lines are different. British culture vs American culture. The Democratic Federation was a British political party. The coherence of the Fabian Society as a structured group, there hasn't been any official 'progressive society'. American Progressivism a century ago had the legacy of the Founding Fathers still lingering. But while the differences are notable, the similarities are profound.

Despite being an ocean apart, progressivism and Fabianism share a lot of the same dna, had similar childhoods, and had many of the same teachers.

[ProgressingAmerica]

If anybody wants on/off the revolutionary progressivism ping list, send me a message

Progressives do not want to discuss their own history. I want to discuss their history.

Summary: Arguably, the movements are 'sister' movements on multiple levels.

[Red Badger]

Give Peace A Chance
John Lennon And The Plastic Ono Band

Two, one two three four
Ev’rybody’s talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m.

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

c’mon
Ev’rybody’s talking about Ministers,
Sinisters, Banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Pop eyes,
And bye bye, bye byes.

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

Let me tell you now
Ev’rybody’s talking about
Revolution, evolution, masturbation,
Flagellation, regulation, integrations,
Meditations, United Nations,
Congratulations.

Ev’rybody’s talking about
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer,
Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna,
Hare, Hare Krishna

[phockthis]

sfl

[mjp]

The ideas of the early eighties—The epoch of Evolution—Sources of Fabian ideas—Positivism—Henry George—John Stuart Mill—Robert Owen—Karl Marx—The Democratic Federation—"The Christian Socialist"—Thomas Davidson

This list is curiously similar to what's found in the evolution of progressivism:(the major points are in order based on their listing as excerpted above)

"the philosophers who attempted to devise an allegedly rational code of ethics gave mankind nothing but a choice of whims, the "selfish" pursuit of one's own whims (such as the ethics of Nietzsche) - or "selfless" service to the whims of others (such as the ethics of Bentham,Mill,Comte,and all of the social hedonists"

Ayn Rand

[SuperLuminal]

Progressives do not want to discuss their own history. I want to discuss their history. "

Progressives do not want to discuss their own history. I want to terminate their future history.

[savagesusie]

The Father of Classical Liberalism is John Locke. His Ethics were the “old fashioned” Christian Ethics which were basically the Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle) with the added theological Virtues—Faith, Hope and Charity (love) of the Catholic Church (Thomas Aquinas).

The break came with the utilitarians-—Particularly Jeremy Bentham, for John Stuart Mill was much more nuanced in his “utilitarianism” which didn’t deny individual rights at all-—for the collective.

Bentham was of the hedonist stripe and very sick, twisted thinking-—his body is stuffed in front of the University which he “founded”. http://benthamsbody.wordpress.com/author/benthamsbody/page/2/

These “sick” minds-—including Marx-—were part of the German Postmodernists (Locke was a modern thinker) and their ideology (”filth of the Rhine”) swept the Classical Liberalism of Locke OUT of all of Europe—even England the home of Locke——and flowed into American universities and the textbooks in American schools (John Dewey was a Fabian Socialist). That is ALL you need to know—that and that the sick ideology has been presented in curricula to your children in public schools since Dewey.

It is why our children don’t know anything anymore. It is intentional. Destroy Classical Thought-—all the great logical geniuses of the world-—so our kids have to rediscover the wheel again-—”ethics” -—but they will be brainwashed into the ethics of the sick Jeremy Bentham( note his rotted head at his feet)-—John Austin-—his student—Austin’s ideas replaced our “Justice” system in all Law Schools-—to put out unethical, irrational judges who think Vice is Virtue and two men can “marry” and other sick twisted, warped “thinking”.

Ayn Rand stated correctly-—all Postmodernism is irrational. Why? They kicked out Natural Law Theory——from which the Greeks formed their Ethics—Right and Wrong-—and Christianity adopted because it was Rational.

Ethics are now formed by whatever “feels” good with no rational look at the Laws of Nature and nature’s God——WE did have the Ethical system embedded in OUR Constitution-—because our Natural Rights come from God.—the Judeo-Christian God which means the Holy Bible is OUR Ethical standard for ALL our Laws. If not this standard-—they are UNJUST and unconstitutional.