Worldview Analysis: Process Philosophy’s Effect on the Political Parties
From a young age, people begin shaping their beliefs, values, and behaviors. As they
grow these principles change based on the people around us. These changes can be religious or
political. Process philosophy is the philosophical approach to identifying processes, changes,
and relationships. One big topic of process philosophy is how it affects our political system.
Specifically, the Democratic Party which has a philosophy of inclusivity that is constantly
evolving as time progresses, and the Republican Party which has a more traditional conservative
view. In this essay, we will talk about how Process Philosophy (created by Alfred Whitehead)
affects the Democratic and Republican Party.
The Democratic Party
The modern Democratic Party was built by Martin Van Burden in the 1820s with the
hope of getting Andrew Jackson elected as President. The Democratic Party is known for being
progressive. They typically value the separation of church and state, pro-choice beliefs, and
LQBTQ+ rights. The Democratic philosophy states, “Overall, Democrats believe that a
prominent and powerful government can ensure welfare and equality for all.” (Presidential
elections and the American Political System, 2023). Welfare is a government-sponsored program
to aid people who can’t provide for themselves. Some of these programs are Social Security,
unemployment, Medicaid/Medicare, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This topic is heavily debated between the two parties with
the Democratic Party believing that the Government should do more to help the needy regardless
of the debt it put the country into.
The Republican Party
The modern Republican Party was built in 1854. Some of its founders consisted of
Abraham Lincoln and Alvan E. Bovay. This party is known for its conservative values such as pro-
life, anti-gun control, and they disagree with how the country has separated the church and
state. The Republican philosophy states, “…the Republican Party therefore often tends to
promote states’ and local rights. That means that they often wish for federal regulations to play
a lesser role in policymaking.” (Presidential elections and the American Political System, 2023).
This is known as Federalism which is defined as the “division and sharing of power between the
national and state governments.” (Federalism and the Constitution). Ferdon states:
“The political thought of Reformed Protestantism was founded on the same principles of covenant that
were found in the Bible and animated the federalism of ancient Israel. Building on covenant ideas,
Reformed Protestantism developed a federal theology (so named explicitly) to explain the relationship
between man and God.” (Ferdon, 2019-08-19)
How does Process Philosophy’s effect on the political parties affect today?
Every four years when Americans vote for a new President, everyone considers a few
factors before voting. Do the Candidate's views align with mine? Are there empty seats in the
Supreme Court that will need to be filled? These are just some questions that can define who
we vote for. The impact of each election is always large and often makes history. In 2012
President Obama of the Democratic Party was re-elected president, and in 2015 he legalized gay
marriage. This was a big win for the Democrats but was a big problem for the Republicans who
felt that legalizing gay marriage was against God's word. Obama had appointed two Supreme
Court Judges making the Democratic Judges take the lead. Had a Republican President been
elected, who knows how that would have been different. In 2016 Donald Trump of the
Republican Party was elected President. He had appointed three Supreme Court Judges causing
the Republican Party to take the lead. In 2021 the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade
which gave women the right to get an abortion. This changed the law so that the states have the
right to decide the law when it comes to abortions. For the Republican Party, this was a big win
as they believe that abortions are equivalent to murder once the fetus has a heartbeat.
Although each party reads the same bible, the same constitution, and the same
documents, each party has very different viewpoints on what the texts say and how they interpret
it. Factors such as how you were raised, what your parents believe, where you are from, and your
values and morals define how you interpret the same documents. Those however are not set in
stone, you are constantly growing and learning new things.
References
Federalism and the Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Intro.7.3. Constitution
Annotated. (n.d.). https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro-2-2-3/ALDE_00000032/
Ferdon. (2019-08-19). Constitutional Government and Free Enterprise: A Biblical
Christian Worldview Approach and Emphasis Interactive Notes, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource
Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9781792402081
Presidential elections and the American Political System6. U.S. Embassy & Consulate in
the Kingdom of Denmark. (2023, October 5). https://dk.usembassy.gov/usa-i-skolen/presidential-
elections-and-the-american-political-system/
