 Addams’ notion of lateral progress exemplifies again how she has been misrepresented as merely a reformer. Radical discourse, a la Marx, has been associated with the call for extreme changes in social institutions and systems. Although such changes may be arguably desirable, they entail upheaval that will disrupt social relationships at significant potential personal cost. Addams sought substantial social progress through mutual agreement and tapping into communal intelligence. Her radical vision refused to give up on the individuals in society and their caring relationships. Mixing theoretical notions of social change with concrete experiences of community organizing, Addams was a caring radical. Addams was interested in ameliorating social problems, but that does not preclude a broadly construed radical edge to her social philosophy.