Jane Addams: 4 Key Elements to Democratic Life (Sumblog 6)

Jane Addams put a big focus on democratic societies. She believed that a democratic society would be the most beneficial and provide for a happier life. A democratic society is not something that just happens without any effort. It is something that could be achieved through respect. She believed that there were four elements that would allow society to prosper and live a democratic life.


Addams believed there were four key elements people needed to live by in order to establish this kind of lifestyle. The first element states that no one group of people are more important than another. This means that everyone would have to be treated fairly and with equality.

The second element stated that all people are active agents. Active agents simply means active members of society. Everybody has the same consensus. It does not matter what their characteristics are, such as sex, sexual orientation, race, or class. There should not be any prejudice among society. Every person would have the ability to act. An example would be allowing everybody the right to vote.

The third element is that people seek opportunity for kindness. Addams believes people all have the drive to be happy and kind. It is society that makes us bad. People have natural tendency to be happy. She stated that the heart and core of humans is to be happy.

The last element she went over stated that personal safety of all members of a social democracy is tied to the personal safety of each. This states that personal safety ends up affecting all of society. It would end up decreasing the sense of security for society.

Overall, Jane Addams believed that in order to have a democratic society, individuals in the society were allowed certain rights and all led to one basic belief: respect. If people in society respected one another, it would be able to become a democratic society.