Woodrow Wilson Social Thought Research

Woodrow Wilson, one of the founders of modern America, had a far reaching impact on American and world history. Generally, Scholars at home and abroad had more interest in his diplomacy and international political thought than in his domestic policy, let alone the totalitarian research of his social thought, which is just the theme of this dissertation.This dissertation places more importance on Wilson's domestic reform than on his diplomacy, which has been comparatively much studied. It falls into three parts of introduction, chapters and conclusion. The preface simply introduces the situation of Wilson study, the reasons for this theme, materials used and construction of the dissertation.The first chapter browses the background of the emergence of Wilson's social; thought. The period in which Wilson lived was that of the transition of America from rural to industrial society with great increase in social wealth and poverty alongside. It seemed the public could not adjust themselves to the new society in which traditional values were challenged and new thoughts surged up. The intelligentsia criticized individualism, the theory of laissez faire and Spencer's social Darwinism accompanied by social fights for human rights finally blending into one great reformation torrent梩he progressive reformation movement.The second chapter deals with Wilson's life and the changing of his thought. Grown up in a Presbyterian clergyman's family of English lineage, Wilson led a religious life and loved English matters which as well as the Civil War had great effect on his later thought. Wilson was in the depth of religion and considered religion and life as the wrong and right side of a coin before. His notions of freedom, justice progress, covenant and order all came from religious belief. Wilson realized from The 1876 general election that something was wrong with American institutions and decided to go to politics for the service of the Federate. Wilson's transferred to concern secular matters. He imagined the ideal politician for himself and molded himself according it. Wilson had primary social control thought in 1885. 1885 saw Wilson begin the theoretic study of modern democratic state. With the help of German thought, he revised his thought of the relation between state and individual, recognizing that state is above individual. Between 1880-1893 Wilson researched English politicians and appreciated Bright's stubborn on principle, Gladstone'smoving with times, Bagehot's conservatism and Burke's compromise. Now he praised progress by orderly reform. Up to 1890sWilson had fame, he created the science of modern administration, frontier thesis and enjoyed the glory of successful research work. Wilson also put forward a new theory of world peace that the peace of a country depended on world peace and world peace depended on the democratization of the world. He prophesied that America could not keep neutral long, it would inevitably stepped out of the West Hemisphere.The third chapter explores Wilson's educational thought and reformation. The author holds that Wilson was one of the leaders of the movement of education transition. American university saw become part of the curricular many new branches of science, which were badly organized and exert far less than what they should. Wilson took education as politics, comprehensively studied the broad impact of education, advanced the theory of conservative liberal education with which he reorganized the disciplines and the administration of Princeton University and had great impact on later American higher education.The forth chapter elaborates Wilson's social reform measures. Wilson led the progressive movement to its peak from 1910 to 1920 first as governor, later as president. As governor, he eliminated party boss politics, regulated public business led the legislature of The Employer's Liability and Workingmen's Compensation Act. As president, Wilson successfully made laws on custom duties, trust, federal reserves, personal income tax and generated income tax,...