The text authors assert that “by 1900 Americans had done nothing less

The text authors assert that “by 1900 Americans had done nothing less than to reinterpret their understanding of their world”.

Describe the key components of America’s “understanding of the world” before the progressives, then contrast that to the new progressive world-view, emphasizing the differences in such areas as economics, sociology, education, and the law.

ANSWER
The progressive world view replaced the idea that the universe was governed by absolutes and natural laws with the view that human life was shaped by concrete experience. Progressives insisted that by working together, humans could reshape their environment instead of being helpless victims of it. The law, they insisted, should be based on felt necessity and experience, not abstract principles. Progressives also believed that education (by “doing”) should be for personal growth, not the passive reception of facts.