With Trump In Charge, Which Way Is American History Going?

German philosopher Georg Hegel believed that history was moved by the conflicts of opposing positions. President-elect Trump seems to stand outside the opposing positions that have defined modern American politics. (Wikimedia Commons)

In recent years, we've heard a multitude of political and social action groups claim they're "on the right side of history."

President Obama, for example, has often used this phrase in explaining his policies.

With Donald Trump set to enter the White House in the new year, we must wonder if he'll make similar claims. We also must ask where the nontraditional politician fits in the grand flow of history.

Many of the civilizations that have graced our earth saw history ending in apocalypse. But following the American and French revolutions, some folks, consumed in their intellectual powers, saw history heading in a different direction, toward the creation of a better world.

Chief among them was Georg Hegel, the noted German philosopher who died in 1831. For him, history was moved by the conflicts of opposing positions. In his view, each conflict resolution brought forth a new stability, which in turn brought new conflicts until, step by step, the final state of history — a conflict-free, spiritually evolved society — could be reached. In this view, being on the right side of history means helping to achieve that state of perfection.

Later, Karl Marx, an admirer of Hegel's work, contended that conflict and change were propelled by material forces. For him, the end of history was the communist society. Today, the progressive left believes its program is on the right side of history and that all the others should be relegated to the dustbin of useless agendas. These progressives have continued to expand their platform, step by step.

Soon-to-be inaugurated Trump will likely throw a huge monkey wrench into their plan.

Make no mistake, Trump represents historical forces of a different sort.

For more than 7,000 years, humanity has been ruled by an alliance of secular and religious powers: kings and priests. When the two factions have conflicted, we've had true church-state clashes.

In our world, the political power of kings and priests is more or less gone. So what took their place?

The royal powers to command and accomplish wound up in the hands of big businesses, bankers, corporate elites and their lobbyist operatives.

Priestly powers — such as promoting spirit-lifting ideologies and codes of conduct, justifying government, and spreading a gospel of economic opportunity — were seized by politicians.

And voila! A new cozy alliance was formed.

Trump, in taking his own path, has successfully combined elements of both royal and priestly functions in his persona.

As a multibillionaire, he will, upon taking his oath of office, become the richest president in our history — by far. He didn't, however, let big business run his campaign and therefore isn't beholden to its interests. He also broke with politicians in his own Republican Party.

Trump towers over the old system, and we should expect a lot of surprises from this American original.

That said, I do suspect we'll have more Trump-like figures in our nation's future.

Relatively young multibillionaire tycoons, spawned by the computer age, seem hot to trot out their social idealism and push history toward what they see as its final stage. And they are flush with the cash, foundations and entourages to try it. When will one run for president?

As for Trump, he's a proven businessman who articulates a strong vision for America. Combining executive power and effective messaging, he can override politicians when necessary but still has the supreme advantage of a Republican-controlled Congress.

Moreover, he is highly adept at skillfully manipulating all the electoral tools of power in the electronic age, particularly social media, which he is apt to use in the predawn hours, garnering media attention.

All of this leaves little doubt Trump will be very powerful, even more than the media predict at this time.

So where is history headed in 2017? Wherever President Trump takes it.

  • Laccetti is a retired history professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology and a national columnist.