Progressive social movements cannot rely merely upon organizing and electoral work, no matter how inspired and dedicated. We need to build theory which can overcome the false distinction between reform and revolution, and overcome the history– among liberals, progressives and the left–of disdaining each other’s points of view (and worse). Democratic socialists, progressive pragmatists and pragmatic liberals should strive to find common ground focusing on the primacy of human needs. The principle of from each according to their ability and to each according to their needs–a recent piece in The Conversation shows–has long roots in humanist, religious and socialist thought. By focusing fully on the priority of human need satisfaction, we can build a majority of humanity which rejects the domination of neoliberalism. 

We can work to pragmatically find alternative ways of governing our mixed economies, so that at first we adopt reforms which can address basic human needs at the very least minimally optimally and so that we can work towards the day when we have transformed our human civilization such that human rights are established and enforced sufficiently to ensure that human needs are met optimally. Once met optimally for all, we can consider the further requirements of human liberation. The concepts used here stem from the liberal and progressive and socialist traditions. I present an original conceptualization of revolutionary-democratic socialism and of progressive pragmatism, and acknowledge previous work on pragmatic liberalism. I introduce an original concept–minimal necessary social intervention–which is designed to ensure that in designing social interventions.