Process philosophy is a branch of philosophy which asserts that all aspects of reality are subject to change, and that there is no facet of reality which can be considered to be static. In many regards, process philosophy has impacted the United States government in myriad ways, including its approach to the economy, to the legislature, and to various social and cultural issues. With regards to this dynamic in recent decades, the most profound examples of the application of process philosophy to governmental policy have been in the arenas of marriage and of education. Looking back in history from 2017, it is hard to believe that less than a century ago, most Americans believed that marriage was only possible between a man and a woman, and that higher education was a privilege that should be reserved only for members of the elite classes. In short, the United States’ governmental stance toward marriage, and toward access to education provide the most profound examples of process philosophy in action.
Marriage
In the United States, the government and society large took it for granted that legal marriage could occur only between a man and a woman, and until recently, the Federal government nor any state governments allowed for the possibility of same-sex marriage under any circumstances. However, when American societal attitudes toward homosexuality began to change in the 1970’s, the possibility of allowing for same-sex marriage began to enter the national dialogue (Hull, 2013). Indeed, such a possibility was vehemently opposed by political conservatives, especially those who were also affiliated with the “Religious Right” (Possamai-Inesedy & Turner, 2016) For such individuals, the purpose of marriage was solely for procreation and the rearing of children, and as such, many conservatives held that same-sex marriage was an affront to nature and to God. However, as the LQBTQ movement gained steam in the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s, many state government s began to reconsider their stances on same-sex marriage. The old arguments regarding the “moral” issues of same-sex marriage no longer held any weight, as there were many heterosexual couples who eschewed reproduction, and many more who became parents without the benefit of marriage. As such, between 2003 and 2015, one state after another began to legalize same-sex marriage, and the twelve remaining states who disallow it are primarily those that are located in the highly traditionalistic Southern states. In many regards, the widespread legality of same sex marriage in the United States is a clear example of the application of process philosophy to governmental policy.
Education
The issue of access to higher education is another matter in which process philosophy has impacted American governmental policy. In the early twentieth century, access to higher education was considered to be the exclusive domain of those who were members of the so-called “leisure classes.” The rationale behind this exclusivity was that the American masses engaged in either manufacturing or agricultural labor, and so did not require extensive schooling in the humanities, the arts, or philosophy. However, with the need for an educated managerial class with the maturing of the Industrial Revolution, it became clear that the doors of higher education should be opened to a wider cross-section of Americans. With the implementation of the G.I. Bill of 1944, which was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an effort to provide a reward for patriotic young men who had served valiantly in World War II, the United States government began to provide taxpayer funds to pay the college tuition of Americans who could not afford higher education otherwise (Rose, 2016).
As legions of young American men from all socio-economic backgrounds began to obtain a higher education, the notion that higher education should be democratized began to spread throughout American society. As a result, the Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Higher Education Act of 1965 provided for Pell Grants, or Federal grants to college students from lower-income households, and the Federal student loan program, which provided Federally subsidized loans for students of all income levels to attend colleges and universities. As a result of these funding entities, the attainment of a higher education is no longer a privilege, but a duty of almost all American citizens, and it is now no longer possible to obtain a decent standard of employment without first obtaining a college degree. Indeed, the profound changes that have occurred with regards to access to higher education, and the provision of funding for its pursuit, are evidence that process philosophy has a profound impact on the actions of the United States government.
Conclusion
While there are political factions within the United States who would like to believe that society and culture are potentially static, this seems to be but a fantasy. As has been demonstrated in the above examples, American society is exceptionally dynamic, and the United States government must change its policies in order to keep pace with the changes that occur in society. When one examines process philosophy, especially as it has been articulated by socialists, it is clear that this is the philosophical ideal that has most profoundly influenced the trajectory of the United States government and its policies (Johnson & Stefurak, 2014). Indeed, a government is a reflection of the society from which it has arisen, not vice versa, and it must evolve in accordance with social change.
- Hornsby, D. J., & Osman, R. (2014). Massification in higher education: large classes and student learning. Higher Education, 67(6), 711-719.
- Hull, K. E. (2003). The Cultural Power of Law and the Cultural Enactment of Legality: The Case of Same‐Sex Marriage. Law & Social Inquiry, 28(3), 629-657.
- Johnson, R. B., & Stefurak, J. (2014). Dialectical pluralism: A metaparadigm and process philosophy for “dynamically combining” important differences. QMiP Bulletin, 17, 63-69.
- Possamai-Inesedy, A., & Turner, B. S. (2016). Same-sex marriage and the christian conservative reaction. Religious Diversity Today: Experiencing Religion in the Contemporary World, 203-228.
- Rose, D. (2016). The Public Policy Roots of Women’s Increasing College Degree Attainment: The National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Higher Education Act of 1965. Studies in American Political Development, 30(01), 62-93.
- Wilson, J. Q., DiIulio Jr, J. J., & Bose, M. (2016). American government: Institutions and policies. Boston: Cengage Learning.
