Idea Of Progress (Oral Anglais BAC)

Idea of progress

Progress is a development towards a better , more complete or more modern condition. It implies changes , some evolution from an older order with old traditions to a new order which is not necessarily embraced by all , as it may shake up deep-rooted conventions.

Can Progress develop a society?

To illustrate my answer , I chose 3 documents which approach this concept in several ways.

First of all we will see how the progress can change the habits and mentality of a society like technological progress. We studied a document " Simple life" which is a text about the impact of Internet in our lives especially in school assignments and how it has changed our everyday lives. Before its creation, we took 1 hour to do our homework whereas now we take 20 minutes thanks to research on Internet . and before we spent time communication with one another or to be informed, but now we can talk with others immediately.

There are different forms of progress but there are also counter-progress as it was the case during Black's segregation. At that time, Afro-Americans endured discrimination because of racial grounds. That's why some people fought for assert their rights and for eradicate racial discrimination.We studied a document about Rosa Parks which underscores her fight against racism and for women's rights. Rosa Parks has been arrested because she decided to sit at the front of the bus whereas she was supposed to sit at the back of the bus. She was discriminated against because of her complexion . Thus, thanks to her, Black people began to demonstrate and finally they reached their goals since new rules were applied and the Jim crow Laws was abolished in 1964.

We can link this document with the last one "O brave the new world" which also enhances a counter progress : The dark sides of progress .It deals with a future perfect world which would use genetics and cloning in order to condition and to control individuals with the Bokanovsky's process. For this purpose , every child is conceived in test tubes : one egg can produce eighty to ninety six beings instead of only one and all of them will be identical twins.This system warns us from the danger of scientific progress. However even if progress can jeopardize our species as long as some humans values will be kept , humanity will be safe and people could keep going controlling what they create.

To conclude, the progress can change the society in a better place. But sometimes, the progress is unfair. And some of counter-progress are set up. On the one hand the progress can revolutionize the society but on the other hand it can destroy the society.

I think that we can open on the notion of Myths and Heroes, because all of these progress are made by heroes, genius who improve the society, these persons are generally considered as heroes, and role model by others.

...