Vicissitudes of Idea of Progress

History
• First root of idea of progress found in Greek
antiquity.
• Plato (427-347 BC) in the law gives an account of
improvement in social organization, stemming from
pristine seed, and moving towards developed forms.
• Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his politics – the
developmental of political state from family and
tribal state
• Protagoras( 481-411 BC ) – detailed reconstruction of
progress in culture, from barbaric state of nature to
developed state
 History contd…
• Second source of concept- Jewish religious
tradition
• The biblical emphasis on prophets and
prophecies the image of history as scared,
guided by divine will and providences, there fore
pre-determined, irreversible and necessary.
• Bernand of chartres- (1214-92 AD) human
knowledge undergoes incremental and
cumulative growth through the ages.
 History contd…
• The era of geographical development – variety is due
to different stage of development and progress that
different society have reached.
• Condorcet(1743-94) suggest progress by means of
constant improvements in knowledge and science
• Immanuel kant(1742-1804) provide criterion of
progress: the meaning and direction of history set by
growth of individual freedom coupled with the
advancement of mortality, which curbs the exercise of
liberty when it endangers the freedom of others.
 History Contd…
• Saint –Simon(1760-1825) and Auguste Comte focused
on progress of mind and envisage in 3 stage :
theological, metaphysical and positive.
• 19th century Era of progress, or triumph of idea of
progress
• Idea of progress pervades common sense, philosophy,
literature, art and science.
• Herbert spencer – Growth and progress in nature as
well as society under the common principle of
evolution.
 Introduction
• Irreversible time-flow in linear fashion from past
present future
• Directional movement ( no stage repeat)
• Cumulative process – Incremental or step by step
• Distinction of typical necessary phase through which it
passes
• Emphasis on endogamous cause of process
• Inevitable, necessary and naturel
• Advancement, improvement, betterment [Each stage is
better than predecessor.
• In 19th and 20th century industrialization, urbanization
and modernization are treated as progress
• It has become apparent that progress in one area
may often occur only at the cost of regress in
another area.
• Various thinker have believed that it is possible to
safeguard the progress in all dimension of society for
all its member at same time to attain overall and
universal progress.
 Introduction
• Progress is defined as  the change or
advancement of major conditions of societies
and people's lives in a direction considered to
be desirable based on prevailing values and
goals of development. 
 Mechanism of Progress
There are 3 variety of view about mechanism of
progress.
• The moving force of progress:
• The form or shape that progress take:
• Mode of operation of a social system resulting
in progress:
 Demise of idea of progress
• The idea of progress is declined in 20th century