What Is Progress?

[DioneTheDiabolist]

A thread inspired by a post on another thread that I think deserves its own.

How do you define progress?

[headinhands]

I suppose a start would be access to education, longevity and ability to meet basic physical needs of food, shelter, warmth and so on.

[headinhands]

Sorry forgot to say what a great idea for a thread .

[Hakluyt]

People having time and energy for more than day to day survival. Free access to education and health care. Girls being valued equally to boys. No bonded labour. Democracy. Efficient and properly targeted taxation. Adequate state provided financial safety net.

[AMumInScotland]

Being able to assume that people's basic needs will be met, and that they will have opportunities to achieve something more than that.

[andmyunpopularopionis]

I think we will have truly progressed as a species when we are free. When we all have access to food, clean water and shelter. When we are able to spend time with each other without the constant threat of losing any of the above. When we are all equal and there are no more wars and hate. And we live in harmony with the earth. At the moment we have none if this.

There is more...

[OneEggIsAnOeuf]

Interesting. I suppose if you have a defined goal and you are moving towards it you are making progress, but then it depends if the goal itself is any sort of progress doesn't it, and progress from what point?

Maybe the gaining of knowledge could be seen as progress, but then it depends what we do with that knowledge.

Human beings may consider themselves as having progressed beyond the rest of the animal kingdom, but while we are capable of great things it is obvious how thin the veil of civilisation is when we look at what we are capable of doing to each other. So progress yes, just not necessarily in the right direction (and what the last poster said).

[DioneTheDiabolist]

Thank you for asking it Head.

I'm still thinking about an answer.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

I think that progress is when you leave the world a better place than when you found it, (taking into account the cost of your learning).

IYSWIM.

[gingerdodger]

Equality, peace and tolerance and probably the latter 2 lead to the first.

I suppose individual progress is doing whatever we can to bring these about, however small.