The idea of progress, definition

Maury Hugo                                                                                        21/05/2016

Idea of progress

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IDEA OF PROGRESS

I’m going to talk about the notion of progress. Progress allows the world to evolve, to change for the better, to grow through discoveries and scientific innovations, technology and techniques. However, this evolution is not ameliorative for all. Progress is also marked by excesses, taking risks, social, economic imbalances ... So Progress is also being questioned.

Thanks to advances in technology, science or medicine, our comfort and the opportunities available to us continue to grow. Everything is simpler, yet more our world is changing, more inequalities are observed. When we see that in some countries, advanced technologies and all means which enable the society prospered are impressive, while in other places of the world population is struggling to meet their basic needs (drinking, eating, etc. ...) we can question the notion of progress. From this point of view can make a connection with another notion studied this year, which is places and forms of power, which raise similar questions to this one.

The progress includes all the advances that have also tremendous growth since the beginning of last century. But it is also the basis of many plagues that strongly influence the world today. Wars for example, or money.

The theme of my presentation will focus on the impact of progress on the world on our society and on our history .many documents will allow us to study the concept of progress, as the film Gattaca, or even I robot, will allow us to study the progress and impact of science, medicine and technology. We can also use real facts related to these films, like the bionic humans, including Rob Spence, who replaced one of his eyes with a camera.

Through the study of these documents, I would answer the question: Is progress always beneficial?

The first document is the movie iRobot of Alex Proyas, released in 2004. The story is set in the near future, and the technology is so advanced that we create humanoid robots designed to help humans and so improve living comfort. But robots have become too smart, rebel and attempt to take control of society and dominate humans. The robots are superior to men from a physical point of view, stronger, faster, do not feel pain and do not need to be fed or another thing to survive. I find that this document clearly illustrates the concept of progress in technology. Technological progress is one of those who has experienced the fastest growth. If we observe the technologies of the early 2000s, and compared them with those of today (just two decades later) we can imagine what those technology look like in 15 years. The film i robots tells the story of a human creation which we lost control. This is an idea that seems rather fictional, yet it is topical. We just take the example of money: it is one of our creations, and now the money dominates and controls the world. No human being is able to live comfortably in society and escape the claws of money. It is money which manages the world's balance, but it is also he who imbalance and create inequality. The money is for human what the food chain is for the animal. This is the loie of the strongest, or rather the richest applies. We see that progress will encourage more northern countries that southern countries. When European education is free and obligatory, in certain areas of Africa, for example, the school does not exist. The notion of progress is indistinguishable and cannot act without the concept of money. Progress brings money, but we need money to progress.

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