Devrions-nous avoir peur du progrès? (document en anglais)

The idea of progress

http://christinegerardin.over-blog.com/article-l-epreuve-d-expression-orale-bac-114686554.html

INTRO

The notion I’m going to deal with is the idea of progress to start with, I’d like to give a definition of The idea of progress . The idea of progress can be defined as an improvement, a development or a change – a technical, scientific or social advance which contributes to making the world a better place." The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty and quality of life

I would like to illustrate this notion through the them of ‘ the power of the press’ by dealing with the following issue : ‘ should we fear progress ? ´

My presentation will fall into 2 parts : First of all, I will concentrate on the "negative side of progress" , then I will focus on positive examples illustrating progress

Concerning The negative side of progress

Some scientific advances are scary; for instance are we heading towards a society in which babies are custom-mad

‘To begin with, I'd like to speak about Applied Genetic manipulation to gender selection.

A procedure invented to identify embryos with serious, fatal, genetic diseases is used for something different: to help couples choose the sex of their child

Actually In the listening report From Gattaca to Los Angeles that we have studied in class we have seen that in the USA , The Los Angeles Fertility Institutes propose gender selection to couples who want to “balance their families”... This is made possible with the embryo screening technology called PGD – pre-implantation genetic diagnosis...

The detection of the major genetic diseases can certainly be considered as a progress, if such diseases can be treated, even cured. But if we can choose the sex of thechild,then we exceed ethical issues, which is not desirable

Furthermore, Cloning is also a worrying process.

Some science-fiction novels describe such dehumanized future society

We have studied in class the novel Brave New World, written by Aldous Huxley in 1932 in which , the cloning process is called Bokanovskification.The idea is to create dozens of identical human beings who belong to the lower classes of the society and who will be submissive, who won't criticize the system.Here, Progress leads to the standardization of the society. The novel aims at denouncing the excess of a technology- based society, in which developments are not under control..

Concerning positive side of the progress

iTs obvious that human capacities have been enhanced thanks to electronic and mechanical elements .

In the magazine cover 'the bionic age that we have studied in class ' we have the exemple of The Professor Hugh Herr who he is said to be a bionic man because of this artificial arm attached to his body . He can now walk and even climb again thanks to two artificial prostheses

We have even seen the

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