[Sherman Logan]

The author was speaking of the present American ideological camp that generally describes itself as Progressive, not addressing 300 years of philosophical and ideological history.

This camp was known as Progressive from the late 1800s through about the 1920s, when they changed it to Liberal. In recent decades they changed it back to Progressive.

I strongly suspect most conservatives are Progressives in the Wiki definition sense. I know I am. I just don’t believe Progress is inevitable.

IOW, the author has described the beliefs of an American group that has chosen to use this title for themselves reasonably accurately. Take up any misuse or abuse of the term with them, not the author.

[Tax-chick]

... defines five "crucial premises" of the Idea of Progress as being: value of the past, nobility of Western civilization, worth of economic/technological growth, faith in reason and scientific/scholarly knowledge obtained through reason, intrinsic importance and worth of life on earth.

Yeah, I agree with all that, although it seems to be a personal definition of this Nisbet fellow.

As P.J. O'Rourke observed, "If you think there was some Golden Age in the past in which everything was better, I have one word for you: dentistry."

[cloudmountain]

The author was speaking of the present American ideological camp that generally describes itself as Progressive, not addressing 300 years of philosophical and ideological history. This camp was known as Progressive from the late 1800s through about the 1920s, when they changed it to Liberal. In recent decades they changed it back to Progressive.
I strongly suspect most conservatives are Progressives in the Wiki definition sense. I know I am. I just don’t believe Progress is inevitable.
IOW, the author has described the beliefs of an American group that has chosen to use this title for themselves reasonably accurately. Take up any misuse or abuse of the term with them, not the author.

I see. Thanks for your explanation.