The Idea of Progress: An Inquiry Into Its Origin and Growth (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

J. Bury

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1440085781 ISBN 13: 9781440085789

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

The Idea of Progress traces how Western society came to embrace the idea that human life can improve through knowledge and reform. This historical inquiry surveys the origin and growth of progress as a guiding force in politics, philosophy, and culture, from early thinkers to modern optimism. It asks how the hope for better futures reshaped ideas about liberty, democracy, science, and happiness.

With clarity and restraint, the book follows key debates and figures that shaped the idea of progress. It examines how Enlightenment thinkers, reformers, and historians argued that social improvement depended on knowledge, institutions, and shared aims—while acknowledging the limits and criticisms that have accompanied such faith.

• How the concept of progress emerged in different eras and cultures.


• Why progress was linked to happiness, peace, and the improvement of human life.


• Connections between philosophy, history, and political reform in shaping modern civilization.


• Warnings and critiques that accompanied the rise of progress as a central idea.

Ideal for readers of intellectual history, philosophy of history, and political thought who want a concise, historical grounding in how progress became a defining idea of modern life.

About this title

Product Description

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.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org

From the Back Cover

The notion that human civilization is progressing, is naturally moving from a more primitive state to a more evolved one, seems so obvious to us that it bears reminding that this was not always true: the concept did not exist before the Enlightenment. In fact, as renowned historian J.B. Bury explains in this classic work, first published in 1920, the idea of progress was antithetical to the thinking of the ancients, who saw history as an unstoppable decline from a previous Golden Age. How did we shift from such pessimism to the current assumption, and how has it altered human civilization? Drawing on the writings of such thinkers from Malthus and Descartes to Darwin and Marx--and many others--Bury explores how all fields of human thought from philosophy to physics have been changed by the idea of progress. British historian JOHN BAGNELL BURY (1861-1927) was professor of modern history at Cambridge. His writings, known for a readability combined with a scholarly depth, include History of the Later Roman Empire (1889), History of Greece (1900), and A History of Freedom of Thought (1913).

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1440085781
• ISBN 13: 9781440085789
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 412