Final answer:
Abraham Lincoln viewed making a living as a condition that was not fixed but could be improved through personal effort and government support for opportunities. His diverse careers and political stance with the Whigs illustrate this belief in social mobility and economic development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Abraham Lincoln did not view making a living as a fixed or permanent condition. His personal journey from Kentucky to Illinois, where he pursued various jobs such as a storekeeper, surveyor, and lawyer, is a testament to his belief in personal advancement and the flexibility of one's socioeconomic status.
His alignment with the Whigs' political views instead of the Democrats' further emphasizes his belief in the government's role in promoting opportunities for advancement within a market economy. Lincoln's policies, especially during his presidency, reflected his perspective on change and growth.
His support for government's active role in fostering economic development, his stance on emancipation, and his thoughts on postwar reconciliation, as suggested by historian Eric Foner, all reinforce the notion that Lincoln saw individual circumstances and societal conditions as subject to change and improvement.