The Evolution of America’s Purpose

From its inception, the United States has considered itself a nation with a distinct mission. It’s not merely a collection of traditions or a static place; rather, it’s an ongoing endeavor. Alexander Hamilton imagined a republic focused on commerce, aimed at rivaling Europe. The notion of Manifest Destiny propelled ambitions across the continent, and after World War II, it even reached for global leadership.

Essentially, America has consistently looked ahead.

However, after settling its borders, the nation turned inwards, redirecting its immense energy towards domestic social movements. Among these, the progressive civil rights movement stands out as the narrative Americans now tell about themselves. What started as a land driven by outward exploration shifted focus to internal moral and social challenges.

This narrative has become so influential that it dominates both conservative and liberal viewpoints today. As a result, the concept of conservatism in the U.S. has morphed into two competing iterations of the same progressive ideology, differing mainly in how quickly they wish to implement social change.

Historically, the U.S. has always been restless and ambitious. We overcome challenges only to find new frontiers ahead of us. The famous philosopher Aristotle discussed the idea of telos, or purpose. While many contemporary thinkers have drifted away from this idea, Aristotle’s perspective resonates: America has always been a nation seeking to establish its identity as a new world participant.

For a significant part of its history, America’s telos involved expansion—not just in land but in civilization. People roamed outward, immediately tackling one issue after the next, fostering a dynamic atmosphere filled with tension as the nation consistently sought to transcend its former definitions.

The Narrative of Civil Rights

North America is naturally aligned with the U.S., but with the West settled, the pioneering spirit found new challenges. World War II marked a pivotal period, establishing America as a leading superpower. While there were attempts to redirect its ambitions, such as the space race, these initiatives proved temporary as deeper, more fundamental changes unfolded at home.

The civil rights movement initially emerged as a quest for legal equality but quickly morphed into a larger revolutionary agenda. This evolution shifted the narrative from one of temporary fixes to a complete dismantling of American identity. Rather than simply seeking to rectify historical injustices, the movement adopted themes of progressivism and Marxism, asserting that America had transformed into an eternal oppressor requiring total reconstruction.

This shift is significant because it introduced a new telos—transitioning from expansion to an everlasting quest for equality. This new perspective sees every disparity as an unresolved issue, with all societal institutions open to scrutiny. The concept of a ‘completed project’ vanished; instead, the aim was to continuously evolve.

Initially, conservatives resisted this civil rights revolution. Figures like Barry Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 not due to support for segregation, but because they viewed the act as an encroachment on states’ rights. Many conservatives hesitated to embrace Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recalling controversies surrounding King’s personal life, as well as his radical associations.

Nonetheless, the Civil Rights Act had morphed beyond its original intentions, expanding to impact various aspects of American existence. The media celebrated the Civil Rights Revolution as the new American story, leaving conservatives little room to contest.

The new focus on equality emerged from the Declaration’s assertion that “All men are created equal.” However, past generations, including Thomas Jefferson, likely did not interpret this phrase in the way modern Americans do today. The continuation of slavery and restrictive immigration policies painted a different picture.

Notable thinkers like Alexis de Tocqueville expressed concerns about compatibility between different races, while even Abraham Lincoln entertained the idea of relocating freed slaves. What prior generations meant by equality has evolved significantly from today’s ongoing quest for restructuring society in its name.

As the left pushed forward the boundaries of change, America’s foundational sin of slavery became the central motive for a perpetual atonement mission. The plight of African Americans was seen as so entrenched that the nation had to resolve all prior hierarchies to prevent oppression—first race, then gender roles, marriage, religion, and even the nature of biological sex. The determination to identify new oppressed groups became America’s primary focus.

The Conservative Response

Conservatives, in a way, took on the role of perpetual underdogs. While they resisted the rapid pace of change, they inadvertently accepted its core premises, shifting from rejecting Martin Luther King Day to venerating figures from the civil rights movement. Over time, conservatives adopted many leftist beliefs but urged moderation in their implementation.

This created a strange dichotomy: two competing narratives of progressivism, one extreme and the other moderate, came to shape American thought. With this, America’s foreign policy evolved into one of continual intervention under the banner of promoting liberal democracy. Ironically, while opposing feminism and LGBTQ rights, conservatives often cite civil rights violations in other nations to justify intervention.

Surprisingly, even conservative churches began focusing their messages on race, the liberation of marginalized groups, and immigration concerns. An authentic right wing is scarce in America today. The primary question is not whether to continue the civil rights revolution, but how far and how fast.

This has led to an identity crisis among American conservatives, who wish to temper left-wing excess while simultaneously endorsing progressive principles. They don’t yearn for a return to prior prejudices; rather, they find value in progress, acknowledging the failings of the past.

This erosion of America’s original vision is troubling, but it need not be irreversible. Rather than spending resources attempting to convert every authoritarian regime into a flourishing democracy, perhaps a focus on exploration could be revitalized. Instead of striving to eliminate every form of inequality, the pursuit of greatness and hierarchy could be recognized as essential to societal health.

Rather than denigrating the founders, conservatives might envision a new manifest destiny extending to Mars and beyond. This calls for a rejection of the thought that continual reinvention in pursuit of abstract equality is the nation’s highest aim. Accepting the reality that hierarchy, excellence, and difference are vital traits of a thriving civilization could usher in a renewed sense of purpose, propelling the nation beyond mere survival to a place of prosperity.