Why liberals should care about progress (Symposium)

by Jason Crawford · October 5, 2021 · 1 min read

I have a piece today in Symposium: “Why Liberals Should Care About Progress”. The opening:

The case for a free society is a broad integration across many subjects, including history, economics, and moral philosophy. Central to this integration is the topic of human progress—specifically, the scientific, technological, industrial, and economic progress that has been dramatically raising standards of living around the world for over two hundred years. Understanding the history, nature, and causes of progress should be a focus for anyone who wants to defend philosophical liberalism, for three reasons.

And the conclusion:

The truth is … liberal philosophy has worked. It has created abundance, empowerment, and safety for all. It offers a compelling vision for the future, and the solutions to our problems and fears. Explicating this argument is central to defending the values of a free society.

Read the whole thing.

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