The Concept of Progress in Lithuania: from Idea to Policy

Project idea

The innovativeness of this project stems from its interdisciplinarity, which combines approaches from conceptual history, philosophy, and policy analysis. Existing research on the idea of ​​progress can be divided into two main streams: research on the concept of scientific progress, which analyzes the conceptual meaning of an idea and its change, and policy analysis research, which focuses on science and innovation policy. The first group is clearly related to a specific field of science or research, and analyze changes in that field based on a historical analysis of the idea and its development, clearly linking the concept of progress to the concept of scientific progress. This type of analysis follows an epistemic approach, where advances in science are understood as an increase in scientific knowledge (Alexander Bird). Such a concept of scientific progress often takes a utilitarian perspective, linking scientific progress to civilizational progress and the increase of prosperity. Research on science and innovation policy can be attributed to enabling, limiting, and regulating the progress of policy decisions and their implementation in science and innovation policy. A key aspect of this policy analysis research is not the concept of progress itself, but the formulation and implementation of policy, often following the aforementioned link between scientific and civilizational progress.

This study aims to combine the aforementioned approaches by analyzing both the range of concepts of the idea of ​​progress and the expression of a specific concept in Lithuania and its transfer to strategic documents and the political agenda. In order to highlight in detail the model of progress in Lithuania's strategic documents, this study will also delve into the value assumptions and categories of these documents, which identify the ideal of public welfare, prosperity, and development to be achieved. A philosophical analysis of these concepts and principles will allow us to see what the axes of perception of progress are, what boundaries preconceived notions and beliefs draw for strategic planning, and how moral norms guide Lithuania's future scenarios. Such a study will provide a fundamental perspective that will reveal the structural aspects of the progress model applied in Lithuania.

The aim of this project is to analyze the concept of the idea of ​​progress in Lithuania through an interdisciplinary approach combining the fields of philosophy, history of political ideas, and policy analysis. The project aims to understand the conceptual field of meanings of the idea of ​​progress and the application of these meanings in Lithuania while constructing the vision and goals of a progressive future of the state. The goal of the analysis of the concept of progress in Lithuania is to examine what theories and interpretations of progress are followed, what model of progress, including both value beliefs and assumptions, and their transfer to strategic documents, is developed and internalized in the country. The analysis of the concept of progress would allow identifying the advantages and limitations of the dominant concept of progress in Lithuania, the structures of meanings being created and to study the transfer of these meanings to political decisions and the political agenda at the strategic level.