The Idea of Progress
J. B. Bury
- We
- may
- believe
- in
- the
- doctrine
- of
- Progress
- or
- we
- may
- not,
- but
- in
- either
- case
- it
- is
- a
- matter
- of
- interest
- to
- examine
- the
- origins
- and
- trace
- the
- history
- of
- what
- is
- now,
- even
- should
- it
- ultimately
- prove
- to
- be
- no
- more
- than
- an
- idolum
- saeculi,
- the
- animating
- and
- controlling
- idea
- of
- western
- civilisation.
- For
- the
- earthly
- Progress
- of
- humanity
- is
- the
- general
- test
- to
- which
- social
- aims
- and
- theories
- are
- submitted
- as
- a
- matter
- of
- course.
- The
- phrase
- CIVILISATION
- AND
- PROGRESS
- has
- become
- stereotyped,
- and
- illustrates
- how
- we
- have
- come
- to
- judge
- a
- civilisation
- good
- or
- bad
- according
- as
- it
- is
- or
- is
- not
- progressive.
- The
- ideals
- of
- liberty
- and
- democracy,
- which
- have
- their
- own
- ancient
- and
- independent
- justifications,
- have
- sought
- a
- new
- strength
- by
- attaching
- themselves
- to
- Progress.
- The
- conjunctions
- of
- "liberty
- and
- progress,"
- "democracy
- and
- progress,"
- meet
- us
- at
- every
- turn.
- Socialism,
- at
- an
- early
- stage
- of
- its
- modern
- development,
- sought
- the
- same
- aid.
- The
- friends
- of
- Mars,
- who
- cannot
- bear
- the
- prospect
- of
- perpetual
- peace,
- maintain
- that
- war
- is
- an
- indispensable
- instrument
- of
- Progress.
- It
- is
- in
- the
- name
- of
- Progress
- that
- the
- doctrinaires
- who
- established
- the
- present
- reign
- of
- terror
- in
- Russia
- profess
- to
- act.
- All
- this
- shows
- the
- prevalent
- feeling
- that
- a
- social
- or
- political
- theory
- or
- programme
- is
- hardly
- tenable
- if
- it
- cannot
- claim
- that
- it
- harmonises
- with
- this
- controlling idea...
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