Pursuing Social Progress: The Question of Orientation

Authors

Keith Hankins, Chapman UniversityFollow
Ryan Muldoon, University at Buffalo
David Wiens, University of California - San Diego

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2-2026

Abstract

We examine the “problem of social change”, focusing on whether efforts should be oriented toward long-term ideals or piecemeal improvements. We analyse the trade-off between these approaches: pursuing ideals may require short-term sacrifices, while incremental changes may hinder realizing an ideal. We introduce an analytical framework for structuring thought experiments that can provide traction on these issues, and present two implementations that provide baseline insights and motivate further research. We conclude with suggestions for extending our framework in ways that can yield insights that can guide our choice of orientation.

Comments

This article was originally published in >Economics and Philosophy in 2026. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266267126100698 

Recommended Citation

Hankins, Keith, Ryan Muldoon, and David Wiens. 2026. “Pursuing Social Progress: The Question of Orientation.” Economics and Philosophy: 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266267126100698

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.