Publisher's Synopsis
The Idea of Progress is a book written by John Bagnell Bury that explores the concept of progress in human society. The book delves into the history of the idea of progress, tracing its origins back to ancient civilizations and examining how it has evolved over time. Bury discusses the different interpretations of progress, including technological progress, moral progress, and social progress, and explores the impact of progress on various aspects of human life, such as politics, religion, and culture. The book also examines the criticisms of progress, including the idea that progress is a myth and that it has led to negative consequences such as environmental degradation and social inequality. Overall, The Idea of Progress provides a comprehensive overview of one of the most important and enduring ideas in human history.At the same time Pascal recognised that we are indebted to the ancients for our very superiority to them in the extent of our knowledge. ""They reached a certain point, and the slightest effort enables us to mount higher; so that we find ourselves on a loftier plane with less trouble and less glory."" The attitude of Descartes was very different. Aspiring to begin ab integro and reform the foundations of knowledge, he ignored or made little of what had been achieved in the past.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
