The Progressive era of American history (1890-1920) marked a profound watershed in American thought, as formalistic styles of reasoning gave way to "pragmatic" and "scientific" modes of thought. Underlying this intellectual watershed were new concerns about "progress"--what social advance meant in America's rising multiethnic, industrial society. This course explores Progressive-era thinking about the problem of "progress" across the social spectrum. The course will look not only at the ideas of "great thinkers" in mainline academic and philosophical traditions, but also at the intellectual outlook of diverse Americans like religious figures, business leaders, socialists, African-Americans, feminists, Native Americans, and immigrants. The course hypothesizes that different groups formulated varying conceptions of "progress" during the Progressive era, and indeed, that "progress" was a contested idea up for grabs. By exploring competing notions of "progress" and how the contest over its meaning played out, the course will cultivate a fuller appreciation of Progressive-era thought and its political dynamics. |