Never Enough Capitalism and the Progressive Spirit

In this landmark work, Neil Gilbert addresses the long-standing tensions between capitalism and the progressive spirit. Challenging the contemporary progressive outlook on the failures of capitalism, Capitalism and the Progressive Spirit analyzes the empirical evidence for conventional claims about the real level of poverty, the presumed causes and consequences of inequality, the meaning and underlying dynamics of social mobility, and the necessity for more social welfare spending and universal benefits. A careful reading of the research reveals that these issues are far less serious than contemporary progressive claims would have the public believe. Progressive leaders, however, remain firmly wedded to the established social agenda, which conveys a vision of the good society that disregards the historically unprecedented and wide-spread abundance in the advanced post-industrial countries. Meanwhile, the progressive agenda inadvertently caters to the corrosive effects of insatiable consumption and the commodification of everyday life, from which modern capitalism profits. The analysis suggests that it is time to resist the material definition of progress that stands so high on the current agenda and envision alternative ways for government to advance society.

Neil Gilbert, PhD, MSW, is Chernin Professor of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley. He served as a Senior Research Fellow at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, was twice awarded Fulbright Fellowships, and served as a Visiting Scholar at the International Social Security Association, where he was a member of the Advisory Board on Social Security Research. Gilbert is Chair of the Board of Directors of Seneca Family of Agencies. His numerous publications include 14 books and 17 edited volumes.