Social progress, its criteria and features in modern conditions.

Progress - this is an upward development associated with the improvement of the content and forms of organizing the social life of people, the growth of their material and spiritual well-being. Progress is most often thought of as progressive movement towards a specific goal. If there is progress, then in society there is a noun: a directed movement towards the realization of the goal, there is an accumulation of innovations, continuity is carried out, stability in the development of society is maintained. If there is a return to obsolete forms and structures, stagnation, and even the collapse and degeneration of any significant functions, then we can definitely say that the regression.

Social progress - this is a transition from less perfect forms of organization of human activity to more perfect ones, this is the progressive development of the entire world history.

Types of social progress:

1) antagonistic: the progress of one part of society occurs largely due to the exploitation, oppression and suppression of its other part, advancement in some areas - due to losses in others;

2) non-antagonistic, characteristic of a socialist society, where progress will be carried out for the benefit of the whole society, through the efforts of all social groups, without the exploitation of man by man.

2). Revolution - this is a complete or complex change in all or most aspects of public life, affecting the foundations of the existing social order

Reform - it is a transformation, a reorganization, a change in some aspect of social life that does not destroy the foundations of the existing social structure, leaving power in the hands of the former ruling class. Understood in this sense, the path of gradual transformation of existing relations is opposed to revolutionary explosions that sweep away the old order to its foundations. Marxism: the evolutionary process is too painful for the people + if reforms are always carried out "from above" by forces that already have power and do not want to part with it, then the result of reforms is always lower than expected: transformations are half-hearted and inconsistent.

To define level of progressiveness of this or that society are used three criteria: A society in which these indicators are quite high is characterized as progressive.

1. labor productivity level- a criterion that reflects the state of the economic sphere of society. Although today it is extremely important to take into account the fundamental changes that are taking place in this area

2. level of individual freedom- has long been considered to reflect the progressiveness of socio-political changes in society.

3. level of morality in society- an integral criterion that brings together all the diversity of approaches to the problem of progress, reflecting the trend of harmonization of social changes.

Of course, we must not forget that in his real life the process of development itself is contradictory, and the path of its direction is correspondingly contradictory. In the real life of every society, there should be a breakthrough (progress) in some areas of society and a lag or even regression in others.

The search for a general criterion of social progress in philosophy led thinkers to the conclusion that such a meter should express an inseparable connection in the development of all spheres, processes of people's social life. The following were put forward as a general criterion of social progress: the realization of freedom, the state of people's health, the development of morality, the achievement of happiness, etc.
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All these are undoubtedly important criteria for social progress, but with the help of these indicators it is still difficult to assess the achievements and losses of the modern movement of history.

Today, the ecological comfort of human life is put forward as the most important criterion of social progress. As regards the general universal criterion of social progress, here the decisive role belongs to the productive forces.

Specific features of social progress:

1. global, the universal character of modern civilization, its unity and integrity. The world is connected into a single whole: a) by the all-encompassing nature of scientific and technological progress; b) the processes of internationalization of world economic relations in production and exchange; c) the new worldwide role of the media and communication; d) global problems of mankind (the danger of war, environmental catastrophe and the extreme importance of their prevention).

2. multipolarity, segmentation.

Mankind realizes itself in various types of societies, ethnic communities, cultural spaces, religious beliefs, spiritual traditions - all these are poles, segments of world civilization. The integrity of the world does not contradict its multipolarity. There are values ​​that we refer to as universal: morality; a way of life worthy of the humane essence of man; kindness; spiritual beauty, etc.
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But there are values ​​that belong to certain societies or social communities: classes, individuals, etc.

3. inconsistency. Contradictions are built on top of one another: between man and nature, the state and the individual, strong and weak countries. The contradictions of the progress of the modern world give rise to global problems of mankind, i.e. those problems that affect the vital interests of all the peoples of the planet and pose a threat to its survival, and therefore require an urgent solution, moreover, by the efforts of the peoples of all countries. Among the most serious global problems, one should name the problems of preventing a world slaughter, an ecological catastrophe, developing and improving education and healthcare, providing the Earth's population with natural resources, eliminating hunger, poverty, etc.

The concept of progress applies only to human society. As for animate and inanimate nature, in this case the concepts of development or evolution (animal nature) and change (inanimate nature) should be used.

Social progress, its criteria and features in modern conditions. - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Social progress, its criteria and features in modern conditions." 2017, 2018.

The idea of ​​progressive development entered science as a secularized (worldly) version of the Christian faith in providence. The image of the future in the biblical stories was an irreversible, predetermined and sacred process of the development of people, led by the divine will. However, the origins of this idea are found much earlier. Next, we will analyze what progress is, what is its purpose and significance.

First mentions

Before saying what progress is, a brief historical description of the emergence and spread of this idea should be given. In particular, in the ancient Greek philosophical tradition there are arguments about the improvement of the existing socio-political structure that developed from the primitive community and family to the ancient policy, i.e., the city-state (Aristotle "Politics", Plato "Laws"). A little later, during the Middle Ages, Bacon tried to apply the concept and notion of progress in the ideological field. In his opinion, the knowledge accumulated over time is increasingly enriched and improved. Thus, each successive generation is able to see further and better than its predecessors.

What is progress?

This word has Latin roots and in translation means "success", "moving forward". Progress is a direction of development of a progressive nature. This process is characterized by the transition to the higher from the lower, from less to more perfect. The progress of society is a global, world-historical phenomenon. This process involves the ascent of human associations from savagery, primitive states to the heights of civilization. This transition is based on political and legal, moral and ethical, scientific and technical achievements.

Main Components

The above describes what progress is and when they first began to talk about this concept. Let's take a look at its components. In the course of improvement, the following aspects are developed:

• Material. In this case, we are talking about the most complete satisfaction of the benefits of all people and the elimination of any technical restrictions for this.
• social component. Here we are talking about the process of bringing society closer to justice and freedom.
• Scientific. This component reflects the process of continuous, deepening and expanding knowledge of the surrounding world, its development both in the micro and macro spheres; liberation of knowledge from the boundaries of economic expediency.

new time

During this period began to see progress in natural science. G. Spencer expressed his point of view on the process. In his opinion, progress - both in nature and in society - was subject to the general evolutionary increasing complexity of internal functioning and organization. Over time, the forms of progress began to be seen in literature, general history. Art has not been neglected either. In different civilizations there was a variety of social. orders, which, in turn, led to different types of progress. The so-called "ladder" was formed. At its peak were the most developed and civilized societies of the West. Further, at various stages, other cultures stood. The distribution depended on the level of development. There was a "westernization" of the concept. As a result, such types of progress as "americocentrism" and "Eurocentrism" appeared.

Newest time

During this period, a decisive role was assigned to man. Weber emphasized the trend towards rationalization of a universal character in the management of various types. Durkheim cited other examples of progress. He spoke of the trend of social integration through "organic solidarity". It was based on the complementary and mutually beneficial contribution of all participants in society.

Classic concept

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is called the "triumph of the idea of ​​development." At that time, the general belief that scientific and technological progress could guarantee the continuous improvement of life was accompanied by a spirit of romantic optimism. In general, there was a classical concept in society. It was an optimistic idea about the gradual liberation of mankind from fear and ignorance on the way to ever more refined and higher levels of civilization. The classical concept was based on the concept of linear irreversible time. Here progress was a positively characterized difference between present and future, or past and present.

Targets and goals

It was assumed that the described movement would continue uninterruptedly not only in the present, but also in the future, despite random deviations. The belief was quite widespread among the masses that progress could be maintained at all stages, in every basic structure of society. As a result, everyone was to achieve full prosperity.

Main criteria

Among them, the most common were:

• Religious perfection (J. Buse, Augustine).
• The increase in scientific knowledge (O. Comte, J. A. Condorcet).
• Equality and justice (K. Marx, T. More).
• Expansion of individual freedom in combination with the development of morality (E. Durkheim, I. Kant).
• Urbanization, industrialization, improvement of technology (K. A. Saint-Simon).
• Dominance over natural forces (G. Spencer).

Controversy of progress

The first doubts about the correctness of the concept began to be expressed after the First World War. The inconsistency of progress consisted in the emergence of ideas about negative side effects in the development of society. F. Tennis was one of the very first to criticize. He believed that social development from traditional to modern, industrial, not only did not improve, but, on the contrary, worsened the living conditions of people. The primary, direct, personal social connections of traditional human interaction have been replaced by indirect, impersonal, secondary, exclusively instrumental contacts inherent in the modern world. This, according to Tennis, was the main problem of progress.

Reinforcement of criticism

After the Second World War, it became obvious to many that development in one area entails negative consequences in another. Industrialization, urbanization, scientific and technological progress were accompanied by environmental pollution. Which, in turn, provoked a new theory. The belief that humanity needs continuous economic progress has been replaced by an alternative idea of ​​"limits to growth."

Forecast

The researchers calculated that when the consumption levels of different countries approach Western standards, the planet could explode from environmental overload. The concept of the "golden billion", according to which only 1 billion people from wealthy countries can get a secure existence on Earth, completely undermined the main postulate on which the classical idea of ​​progress was based - orientation towards a better future for all living without exception. The belief in the superiority of the direction of development along which the civilization of the West proceeded, which dominated for a long period of time, was replaced by disappointment.

Utopian vision

This thinking reflected highly idealized ideas of the best society. This utopian thinking, it must be assumed, also received a powerful blow. The last of the attempts to implement this type of vision of the world was the world socialist system. At the same time, humanity at this stage does not have in reserve projects "capable of mobilizing collective, universal actions, capturing the human imagination", which could orient society towards a brighter future (this role was very effectively played by the ideas of socialism). Instead, there are either simple extrapolations of current trends or catastrophic prophecies today.

Reflections on the future

The development of ideas about upcoming events is currently going in two directions. In the first case, the prevailing pessimism is defined, in which gloomy images of decline, destruction and degeneration are visible. Due to disillusionment with scientific and technical rationalism, mysticism and irrationalism began to spread. Emotions, intuition, subconscious perception are increasingly opposed to reason and logic in one area or another. According to the statements of radical postmodern theories, reliable criteria have disappeared in modern culture, according to which the myth differed from reality, the ugly from the beautiful, virtue from vice. All this indicates that the era of "higher freedom" from morality, traditions, progress, after all, has begun. In the second direction, there is an active search for new concepts of development that can give people positive guidelines for the coming periods, save humanity from unfounded illusions. Postmodern ideas have mostly rejected the traditional version of developmental theory with finalism, fatalism and determinism. Most of them preferred other examples of progress - other probabilistic approaches to the development of society and culture. Some theorists (Buckley, Archer, Etzioni, Wallerstein, Nisbet) in their concepts interpret the idea as a possible chance for improvement, which may occur with a certain degree of probability, or may go unnoticed.

The principle of constructivism

Of all the variety of approaches, it was this concept that served as the theoretical foundation for postmodernism. The task is to find the driving forces of progress in the daily normal life of people. According to K. Lash, the solution to the riddle is provided by the certainty that improvements can occur solely due to human efforts. Otherwise, the task is simply unsolvable.

Alternative concepts

All of them, which have arisen within the framework of the theory of activity, are very abstract. Alternative concepts appeal to the "man as a whole" without showing any particular interest in cultural and civilizational differences. In this case, in fact, a new type of social utopia is visible. It is a cybernetic simulation of social cultures of an ideal order, viewed through the prism of human activity. These concepts return positive guidelines, a certain faith in a probable progressive development. Moreover, they name (albeit at a highly theoretical level) the sources and conditions of growth. Meanwhile, alternative concepts do not answer the main question: why humanity, “free from” and “free for”, in some cases chooses progress and strives for a “new, active society”, but often decadence and destruction serve as a guide for it, which , in turn, leads to stagnation and regression. Based on that, it can hardly be argued that society needs progress. This is explained by the fact that it is impossible to prove whether humanity will want to realize its creative ability in the future. There are no answers to these questions in cybernetics and systems theory either. However, they were analyzed in detail by religion and culture. In this regard, as an alternative to constructivist modernism in the theory of progress, sociocultural ethicocentrism can act today.

Finally

Modern Russian philosophers are increasingly returning to the "Silver Age". Turning to this heritage, they try again to hear the originality of the rhythms of the national culture, to translate them into a strict scientific language. According to Panarin, the biomorphic structure of cognition shows a person the image of the cosmos as a living, organic whole. Its space awakens in people a motivation of a higher order, incompatible with irresponsible consumer egoism. Today it is clear that modern social science requires a serious revision of the existing basic principles, priorities and values. It can suggest new directions to a person, if he, in turn, finds in himself enough strength to use them.

Social progress is considered in the school course in many ways, it becomes possible to see the inconsistency of the process. Society develops unevenly, changes positions, like a person. It is important to choose the path that will lead to better living conditions and the preservation of the planet.

The problem of the progressive movement

Since ancient times, scientists have tried to determine the path of development of societies. Some found similarities with nature: the seasons. Others have identified cycles in the form of ups and downs. The cycle of events did not allow giving precise instructions on how and where to move the peoples. A scientific problem has arisen. The main directions are laid in the understanding two terms :

• Progress;
• Regression.

The thinker and poet of ancient Greece, Hesiod, divided the history of mankind into 5 eras :

• Gold;
• Silver;
• Copper;
• Bronze;
• Iron.

Rising up from century to century, a person should have become better, but history has proven otherwise. The scientist's theory failed. The Iron Age, in which the scientist himself lived, did not become an impetus for the development of morality. Democritus divided history into three groups :

• Past;
• The present;
• Future.

The transition from one period to another should show growth and improvement, but this approach has not become true.

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Plato and Aristotle presented history as a process of movement through cycles with repeating stages.

Scientists proceeded from the understanding of progress. According to social science, the concept of social progress is a movement forward. Regress is an antonym, opposition to the first concept. Regression - movement from the highest to the lowest, degradation.

Progress and regress are characterized by movement, and its continuity has been proven. But the movement can go up - for the better, down - to return to the previous forms of life.

Contradictions of scientific theories

Hesiod reasoned on the basis that humanity is developing, drawing the lessons of the past. The inconsistency of the social process refuted his reasoning. In the last century, attitudes of high morality were to be formed among people. Hesiod noted the decay of moral values, people began to preach evil, violence, war. The scientist put forward the idea of ​​the regressive development of history. Man, in his opinion, cannot change the course of history, he is a pawn and does not play a role in the tragedy of the planet.

Progress became the basis of the theory of the French philosopher A. R. Turgot. He proposed to consider history as a constant movement forward. Proved by offering the properties of the human mind. A person constantly achieves success, consciously improves his life, the conditions of existence. Supporters of the progressive path of development:

• J. A. Condorcet;
• G. Hegel.

Supported their faith and Karl Marx. He believed that humanity penetrates into nature and, studying its possibilities, improves itself.

Presenting history in the form of a line rising forward will not work. It will be a curve or a broken line: ups and downs, ups and downs.

Criteria for the progress of social development

Criteria are the basis, the circumstances that lead to the development or stabilization of certain processes. The criteria for social progress have gone through different approaches.

The table helps to understand the views on the development trends of the society of scientists from different eras:

Scientists	Progress Criteria
A. Condorcet	The human mind develops, changing society itself. The manifestations of his mind in various spheres enable humanity to move forward.
Utopians	Progress is built on the brotherhood of man. The team acquires the goal of joint movement towards the creation of better conditions for coexistence.
F. Schelling	A person gradually strives to create the legal foundations for the structure of society.
G. Hegel	Progress is built on human awareness of freedom.
Modern approaches of philosophers	Criteria types: The development of productive forces of a different nature: within society, within a person. Humanity: the quality of the individual is perceived more and more correctly, society and every person strive for it, it is the engine of progress.

Examples of progressive development

Examples of moving forward include the following public phenomena and processes :

• the economic growth;
• discovery of new scientific theories;
• development and modernization of technical means;
• discovery of new types of energy: nuclear, atomic;
• the growth of cities that improve human living conditions.

Examples of progress are the development of medicine, the increase in the types and capacities of means of communication between people, the disappearance of such concepts as slavery.

Regression examples

Society is moving along the path of regression, what phenomena do scientists attribute to backward movement:

• Problems of the ecological plan: damage to nature, environmental pollution, the death of the Aral Sea.
• Improving the types of weapons that lead to the mass destruction of mankind.
• The creation and distribution of atomic weapons around the planet, leading to the death of a huge number of people.
• An increase in the number of industrial accidents that are dangerous for people located on the territory of their location (nuclear reactors, nuclear power plants).
• Air pollution in large settlements.

The law that defines the signs of regression has not been established by scientists. Every society develops in its own way. Laws adopted in some states are unacceptable to others. The reason is the individuality of one person and entire nations. The determining force in the movement of history is a person, and it is difficult to fit him into a framework, to give a definite plan according to which he goes in life.

This is a peculiar type of development, in the process of which a transition is made to more complex, higher, perfect structures. This concept was not left alone by modern society, therefore, in the article we will consider the main criteria for social progress.

Social progress is...

Social progress is understood as the direction of development of society, which is characterized by irreversible changes taking place in all spheres of human life. As a result, society turns into a more perfect substance.

Progress has two main features. Firstly, this concept is relative, since it cannot be applied to such areas as art. Secondly, this process is very contradictory: what is favorable for one area of ​​activity may adversely affect another. For example, the development of industry has a negative impact on the ecology of the environment.

In sociology, the criteria for social progress are considered to be such concepts:

• Development of the human mind.
• Improvement of morality.
• Increasing the degree of freedom of the individual.
• Scientific and technical progress.
• Development of production.

Processes of social dynamics

A. Todd, in his book on theories of social progress, noted that this concept is so human that everyone thinks it in his own way. And yet there are four main ways of development of society. It is better to consider these criteria of social progress in the table.

subjectivity factor

Some philosophers and sociologists believe that the highest criterion of social progress is not a measure of an objective nature. They insist that the concept of progress has purely subjective characteristics, because its study directly depends on the criterion that the scientist is going to investigate. And he chooses this criterion according to his own scale of values ​​based on his views, sympathies, ideals.

By choosing one criterion, one can speak of significant progress, but it is worth choosing some other - and the decline of mankind is obvious.

But if you look, for example, at the criteria of social progress from the point of view of materialism, it becomes clear that there is a certain pattern in society that can be studied from a scientific point of view.

patterns

Due to nature-conditioned material production, the bulk of people strive for progress. It is in material production that one should look for the general criterion of social progress. It is quite simple to give an example: throughout the entire existence of mankind, various methods of production have developed and changed. This makes it possible to reveal patterns, considering the whole history as a natural-historical process.

Development of productive forces

Some researchers believe that the highest criterion of social progress is the process of development of productive forces. It lies in the constant change and improvement of technologies that provide a constant increase in productivity. In turn, the improvement of the means of labor leads to the improvement of the labor force. New equipment requires a person to develop new skills, and where there is progress in technology, science is also improved. At the same time, the human impact on the environment increases, plus, the amount of surplus product increases and, as a result, the nature of consumption, lifestyle, way of life and culture of society inevitably change. This is the highest criterion of social progress.

A similar dialectic can be traced in the segment of the spiritual development of mankind. Each social relation gives rise to its own cultural form. Together with it, its own art and ideology arises, which cannot be subjected to arbitrary replacement. Another supreme criterion of social progress is the development of man himself. It is possible to talk about progress only when the society is not in a state of stagnation - "stagnant water". Thus, the basis and criteria for social progress are the mode of production and the social order determined by it.

Constituent elements

From the point of view of materialism, social progress consists of four main components:

1. The productive forces of society and the level of their development.
2. Production relations that have developed on the basis of productive forces functioning in society.
3. The social structure that determines the political structure of the state.
4. The level of personality development.

It is worth noting that none of the signs can be an unconditional separate criterion of social progress. Social progress is the unity and development of all. Unfortunately, these areas can be scientifically substantiated only from the point of view of materialism, but this does not mean at all that such an integrative criterion as humanization or morality does not participate in progress.

Pyramid of progressive characteristics

To understand the importance and complexity of the process of social dynamics, it is worth explaining at least a few criteria for social progress. In a table, such information is perceived better.

In addition to these criteria, each of the thinkers of the past defended his point of view, considering the process of social progress. So, J. Condorcet said that the development of the human mind is important for society. Only enlightenment and the triumph of thought are capable of advancing social and social progress. insisted that progress is possible only where there is good legislation. If the law protects human rights, then the individual, feeling safe, is able to improve and improve the world around him. Saint-Simon and Owen noted that in a progressive society there should be no exploitation of one person by another, and Karl Marx zealously defended his idea of ​​the development of production.

Social development is a complex and multifaceted process that can be viewed from different points of view. Scientists say that in recent years, studies have shifted to the humanitarian side. But it is most correct to consider progress in the context of the production of goods and their distribution among social groups, because the highest criterion of social progress is precisely the symbiosis of these two concepts.

Studying history, we see how different aspects of social life change over time, one type of society replaces another.

Social change

Various changes are constantly taking place in society. Some of them are being implemented before our eyes (a new president is being elected, social programs are being introduced to help families or the poor, legislation is being changed).

Social changes are characterized by their direction, they are both positive (positive changes for the better), they are called progress, and negative (negative changes for the worse) - regression.

We advise you to remember!
Social progress - consistent positive changes in society; the process of its ascent from one historical stage to another, the development of society from simple to complex, from less developed forms to more developed ones.
Social regression is the movement of society back to the lower stages of development.

Let's look at a historical example. The Roman Empire developed progressively over hundreds of years. New buildings were erected, architecture, poetry and theater developed, legislation was improved, new territories were conquered. But in the era of the Great Migration of Nations, barbarian nomadic tribes destroyed the Roman Empire. Cattle and poultry grazed on the ruins of ancient palaces, aqueducts no longer supplied fresh water to the cities. Illiteracy reigned where the arts and crafts once flourished. Progress has been replaced by regression.

Ways of social progress

Progress is made in many ways and ways. There are gradual and spasmodic types of social progress. The first is called reformist, the second - revolutionary.

We advise you to remember!
Reform - partial gradual improvement in any area; legislative change.
Revolution - a complete change in all or most aspects of public life, affecting the foundations of the existing social order.

The first revolution in the history of mankind was the so-called Neolithic revolution, which was a qualitative leap, the transition from an appropriating economy (hunting and gathering) to a productive one (agriculture and cattle breeding). The Neolithic revolution began 10 thousand years ago. It was a global revolution - it swept the whole world.

The second global process was the industrial revolution of the XVIII-XIX centuries. It also played an outstanding role in human history, led to the spread of machine production, the replacement of an agrarian society by an industrial one.

Global revolutions affect all spheres of society and many countries, and therefore lead to qualitative changes.

The revolutions taking place in individual countries also lead to reorganization in all spheres of people's lives. A similar thing happened to Russia after the October Revolution of 1917, when the Soviets of Workers' and Peasants' Deputies came to power. Authorities have changed, entire social groups have disappeared (for example, the nobility), but new ones have appeared - the Soviet intelligentsia, collective farmers, party workers, etc.

Reforms are partial changes that affect not the entire society, but its individual areas.

Reforms, as a rule, do not affect all countries, but each one individually, since this is an internal affair of the state. Reforms are carried out by the government, they are public, they are planned in advance, wide sections of the population are involved in their discussion, and the progress of the reform is covered by the press.

Interesting Facts
One of the greatest reformers in history was the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (527-565) - He established a commission to create a code of Roman law (in Latin - Corpus juris civilis) in order to replace obsolete laws. It was also necessary to eliminate contradictions in the legislation. When the Code of Justinian was created, all laws not included in it lost their force. Until now, Roman law underlies the civil law of most modern countries (including Russia).

Today, our country is undergoing an education reform that began back in the 1990s and led to the emergence of new textbooks, the USE examination system, and state educational standards.

smart thought
"Progress is a way of being human."
- - Victor Hugo, French writer - -

The impact of technological progress on society

The basis for the development of society is technical progress - the improvement of tools and technology, as it changes production, the quality and productivity of labor, has an impact on man, on the relationship of society with nature.

Technological progress has a long history of development. About 2 million years ago, the first tools of labor appeared (remember what they were), from which technical progress originates. Approximately 8-10 thousand years ago, our ancestors switched from gathering and hunting to farming and cattle breeding, and about 6 thousand years ago people began to live in cities, specialize in certain types of labor, divided into social classes. In the second half of the 17th century, with the beginning of the industrial revolution, the era of industrial factories opened, and in the 20th century - computers, the Internet, thermonuclear energy, and space exploration. The modern personal computer is superior in performance to the computing centers of the 80-90s of the last century.

What replaced the forge (1), plow (2), pen and inkwell (3)? Can we speak of social progress in these cases?

Perhaps no other society valued innovation as highly as it does today. In the 20th century, unique inventions were made: electricity, radio, television, cars, airplanes, nuclear energy, rocket science, computers, laser technology and robots. Each new invention, in turn, led to the creation of even more advanced generations of technology.

Technological progress also affected the social sphere. Technical devices make life much easier for a person, help people solve everyday problems (cook food, clean an apartment, do laundry, etc.), come to the aid of people with disabilities. The advent of the automobile radically changed the idea of ​​the place of work and residence, made it possible for a person to live many kilometers from his workplace. People have become more mobile, including teenagers who, thanks to the Internet, have begun to communicate with their peers from geographically distant places.

Technological progress has changed the lives of millions of people, but at the same time has created many problems. Active human intervention in nature has led to many negative consequences: many species of plants and animals disappear or are on the verge of extinction, forests are cut down, industrial enterprises pollute water, air and soil. The conveniences of city life are accompanied by air pollution, traffic fatigue, and so on.

Summing up
Social progress is the movement of mankind from lower to higher levels. It has a global character covering the whole world. On the contrary, regression is a temporary retreat from the won positions. Revolutions and reforms are two types of social progress. Revolutions can be global or limited to one or a few countries. Reforms are carried out only in one society and are gradual.

Basic terms and concepts
Social progress, social regression, reforms, revolution, technical progress.

Test your knowledge

1. Give examples of social change. Do changes in social life always lead to positive consequences? Justify your answer.
2. Explain the meaning of the concepts: "social progress", "social regression", "reform", "revolution", "technical progress".
3. Choose keywords that characterize social progress, regression of society, revolutions, reforms.
4. Give examples from history that illustrate the various paths of social progress.
5. How do you think wars affect the development of society? Do they play a progressive or regressive role? Explain your answer.

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