Meliorism

Meliorism
William James was an earlier adherent to meliorism as a halfway between metaphysical optimism and pessimism.
This article is about the philosophical concept. For the political wing of the Italian Communist Party, see Meliorism (politics).

Meliorism is an idea in metaphysical thinking holding that progress is a real concept leading to an improvement of the world. It holds that humans can, through their interference with processes that would otherwise be natural, produce an outcome which is an improvement over the aforementioned natural one.

Meliorism, as a conception of the person and society, is at the foundation of contemporary liberal democracy and human rights and is a basic component of liberalism.[1]

Another important understanding of the meliorist tradition comes from the American Pragmatic tradition. One can read about it in the works of Lester Frank Ward, William James, Ralph Nader, and John Dewey.

Meliorism has also been used by Arthur Caplan to describe positions in bioethics that are in favor of ameliorating conditions which cause suffering, even if the conditions have long existed (e.g. being in favor of cures for common diseases, being in favor of serious anti-aging therapies as they are developed).

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/File/dp068.pdf

External links


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  • meliorism — MELIORÍSM s.n. Concepţie potrivit căreia lumea nu este nici cea mai rea cu putinţă, nici iremediabil rea, ci poate fi ameliorată sau este în curs de ameliorare. [pr.: li o ] – Din fr. méliorisme. Trimis de cornel, 31.05.2004. Sursa: DEX 98 … …   Dicționar Român

  • Meliorism — Mel io*rism, n. [From L. melior better.] The doctrine that there is a tendency throughout nature toward improvement. J. Sully. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meliorism — (n.) belief that the world tends to become better, 1868, from L. melior (see MELIORATE (Cf. meliorate)) + ISM (Cf. ism). Related: Meliorist (1835) …   Etymology dictionary

  • meliorism — [mēl′yə riz΄əm] n. [L melior, better (see MELIORATE) + ISM] 1. the belief that the world naturally tends to get better and, esp., that this tendency can be furthered by human effort 2. the betterment of society by improving people s health,… …   English World dictionary

  • meliorism — noun The view or doctrine that the world is neither entirely bad nor entirely good, and can be improved through human effort. Understood as an intermediate outlook, between optimism and pessimism. At the conve …   Wiktionary

  • Meliorism (politics) — Meliorism was a wing of the Italian Communist Party. Its leader was Giorgio Napolitano, and counted among its number Gerardo Chiaromonte and Emanuele Macaluso. It was also referred to as the right wing of the Italian Communist Party, due to its… …   Wikipedia

  • meliorism — noun Date: 1877 the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment • meliorist adjective or noun • melioristic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • meliorism — meliorist, n., adj. melioristic, adj. /meel yeuh riz euhm, mee lee euh /, n. the doctrine that the world tends to become better or may be made better by human effort. [1855 60; < L melior better + ISM] * * * …   Universalium

  • MELIORISM —    the theory that there is in nature a tendency to better and better development …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • meliorism — the belief the world tends to become better Philosophical Isms …   Phrontistery dictionary

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