Richard Bourke

How do we orientate ourselves politically? We often seek guidance by organizing positions along a spectrum from "left" to "right." Yet, underlying the spatial metaphor is a moral judgment: "good" versus "bad." These, in turn, are often affixed to parties. However, judgments in politics are contextually situated. This includes their historical location. Political action springs from the past and is directed towards a future. As a result, the idea of "progress" is central to how we think about political life. I will be investigating the role of progress as part of a book on The Right Side of History. This includes exploring the historical vicissitudes of the concept, as well as the pitfalls which its misuse can entail when we try to find our way in politics.