Speaking of
In this section, we showcase media reports on Progress Foundation events or publications, along with contributions from our Board members.
Liberals Should Have the Courage to Be Unfashionable
Freedom and responsibility have brought Switzerland success. But the foundations have become fragile. What might the liberalism of the 21st century look like?
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“Even in Our Supposedly Secular Age, People are Busy Preaching in Politics.”
Oliver Zimmer, author of "Preachers of Truth", describes the historical and cultural impact of the Reformation on contemporary understandings of power, authority and truth. He examines key aspects such as the role of the epistocracy, the power of the printed word, and the dynamic between authoritarian structures and the quest for individual freedom. The discussion shows how the social upheavals of the Reformation are reflected in contemporary political discourses and questions of power.
In the media
“Urliberale Etatisten”- In Politics, Liberal Doesn’t Just Mean Liberal
The words that Loriot put into the mouth of one of his fictional characters in 1977 were almost prophetic: In the liberal sense, liberal doesn't just mean liberal. Today, with a little imagination, almost anything can be apostrophized as liberal.
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Mohrenkopf And Meitlibei
The language police are cleaning up the confectionery shelves: a Basel bakery chain has turned the allegedly sexist "Meitlibei" into a harmless "good luck charm". This is reminiscent of the campaign against the Mohrenkopf. But is everyone who makes, eats or uses the word Mohrenkopf a violent racist?
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Liberalism is an unreasonable demand
Liberalism demands a lot from people. Life in freedom is uncomfortable and exhausting, characterized by insecurity and inequality. Liberal society does not promise a land of milk and honey, but that is precisely why it is humane.
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Historiography should focus more on entrepreneurs and less on politicians
Our view of history is often distorted when it comes to the economy. On the one hand, the industrial revolution is often only perceived in terms of social misery. On the other hand, the importance of the economy and, above all, entrepreneurs is massively underestimated.
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Ten commandments of common sense
The "legendary" words of Abraham Lincoln about the strong and the weak and the dangers of debt were never spoken by him. They were not written until long after his assassination by a preacher of German descent. But they have retained their validity in their practical dimension.
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Neoliberalism? Hardly. We’re actually living in an era of neo-mercantilism
For almost all economic, many social and even some health problems of our time, an astonishing number of contemporaries only know one scapegoat. The blame lies with "evil neoliberalism". But what about the characteristics attributed to it, deregulation, austerity, social cuts and global competition? A fact check.
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Fortunately, different characters and talents cannot be leveled out
Equality from the start is a great liberal good. However, if children are transferred from family to collective care too early due to a fixation on equality, this damages a pillar of liberal society.
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Pensionskassen-Versicherte haben kaum Einfluss
Zwischen Aktiengesellschaften und Pensionskassen gibt es Ähnlichkeiten. Doch während Aktionäre mit den Füssen abstimmen können, ist dies für Pensionskassen-Versicherte kaum möglich.
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