The Triangle of Human Progress: Society, Technology, and Morality

910 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of technology on people

The interplay between the needs of society, the implications of society using technology on a wide scale, and the role of morality all play a role in defining human progress. The goal is to balance each in order to create a sustainable future. A sustainable future involves using resources and creating an environment that can sustain future generations. However, it is clear that the current triangle of human progress is an unsustainable arrangement because the arrangement is unstable. Therefore, progress does not necessarily translate to a sustainable future. However, one must take a closer look at what defines progress and how it relates to sustainability in order to discover a connection between them. Furthermore, a further examination of the needs of society, society’s use of technology, and the role of morality is necessary to understand why the interplay between them is unsustainable.
One must first acknowledge the existence of different kinds of progress in order to understand the connection between progress and a sustainable future. Human progress is now classified as either material progress or moral progress. Material progress involves inventing things without a complete rationalization. This leads to a progress trap. Progress traps involves human societies pursuing progress and inadvertently introducing problems they do not have the resources or will to solve for fear of short-term losses in status, stability or quality of life. Our society is experiencing this phenomenon right now. Our society foolishly believes that resources are infinite and neglects the problems that our overconsumption creates. Moral progress involves inventing things for a reason. There is some kind of rationalization involved in moral progress. S...

... middle of paper ...

...in morality requires that your actions benefit others almost as much as yourself. Human nature makes this hard because an extension in morality generally requires a restriction of freedom. Society’s wide spread use of technology in our agricultural system exemplifies of how our culture disregards morality. The evolution of resistance to pesticides is also a concern because these pesticides negatively affect our bodies. Nevertheless, human progress is related to the needs of society, the implications of society’s wide use of technology, and the role of morality. However, there is evidence to suggest that the interplay between the three does not necessarily equate to human progress. Progress and a sustainable future are related when considering moral progress. Morality plays a key role in a sustainable future and yet is succumb to our culture’s wide use of technology.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Dr. Michael Shermer's The Moral Arc

    1967 Words  | 4 Pages

    Such a simple revelation of similarity between species powered multiple rights revolutions for beings that we originally thought to be “too different” or inferior to us. As Gay rights, Women’s rights, and Animal rights were born out of scientific logic and reasoning our moral arc began to increase. Shermer examines and defines the link between humanity and science by introducing the notion that we all come into this world with some sort of moral compass, inherently already knowing basic rights from wrongs. However, Shermer makes it clear that how we control our moral compass comes from how we are “nurtured”. The levels of guilt that we feel for violating certain social obligations can and will vary depending on the environment that we are raised in .This leads Shermer into introducing the most simple and effective way of measuring morality in an action. Shermer defines an action as being morally correct only if the action increases an individual’s chances of survival and flourishing. The idea is to stretch the boundaries of the moral sphere with the help of science and its tools of reason. He then goes on to state how we would not be as far as we are in the progression of morality today if

    Read More

  • Summary Of Ronald Wright's A Short History Of Progress

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ronald Wright’s A Short History of Progress gives an overall view of the world’s history of progression since mankind has entered the earth. He discusses the argument whether human’s progression has been beneficial or resulted in many catastrophic mistakes. He uses examples to back his argument up such as the civilizations in the past and how their progression also was their reason for their downfall. A civilization needs to handle progression in their society responsibly. Wrights contributions to this argument have been able to lead to further discussion in relation to being a responsible citizen in our world today.

    Read More

  • The Values Of Science In The Moral Arch By Michael Shermer

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    Initially, The book “The Moral Arch” by Michael Shermer talks about as technology advances that we all become more moral to each other. I agree that as we become more technological, we become more moral in majority life, especially when it comes to capital punishment, violent crimes, religion, freedom, and democracy. We can see it through our history during the industrial revolution era, and through our generation today. Science will continue to make us more moral about our daily activities.

    Read More

  • Progress in America

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human civilization is constantly in a state of flux. It is always changing, evolving, and adapting to the ways that humans not only interact with one and other, but also with the earth on which we reside. We often call this evolving interaction progress. Progress can be defined as the destruction and re-building of social, political, and religious norms to promote a more prosperous and equitable society. Perhaps more than any other event in human history the European “discovery” of the New World fundamentally altered the social, political, and religious landscape the world over.

    Read More

  • Morality Essay

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    Morality is making the distinction between doing what is beneficial or doing what is detrimental. Everything in this world is connected and depends on a sense of morality. “We care for people, billions of organisms, and myriads of habitats they support, because we now appreciate that we draw our life from each other, and that we are all mutually implicated in each other’s fate” (Wirzba 88). Our lives are ultimately connected with the state and well-being of other individuals. We discern the fate of ourselves when we care about the fate of others. If we choose to disregard the needs of our settings, we are living immorally in regard to our surroundings and ourselves.

    Read More

  • Billy Joy's Why The Future Doesn T Need Us

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    In class, we have learned about two political philosophies: conservatism and progressivism. Conservatism is a commitment to traditional values in which change is opposed. On the other hand, progressivism is the advocacy of improvement of society through change and reform movements. This philosophy is based on the idea of progress, expressed in the advancements in science, technology, economics, and social organization. In Billy Joy’s “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” Joy expresses the impact of technology in the lives of 21st century citizens. Joy states that the human race will be overrun and outcompeted by technological advancements to a point where humans are not necessary. To face these challenges in the 21st century proposed by Billy Joy,

    Read More

  • A Short History of Progress

    2389 Words  | 5 Pages

    The term, progress, is synonymous with phrases that denote moving forward, growth, and advancement. It seems unorthodox then that Ronald Wright asserts the world has fallen into a progress trap, a paradox to how progress is typically portrayed as it contradicts the conventional way life is viewed: as being a natural progression from the outdated and tried towards the new and improved. Wright posits that it is the world’s relentless creation of innovative methods that ironically contributes to the progress trap rather than to progress itself, the intended objective. Wright’s coinage of the term “progress trap” refers to the phenomenon of innovations that create new complications that are typically left without resolve which exacerbate current conditions; unwittingly then, matters would have been much better if the innovation had never been implemented. In his book, “A Short History of Progress,” he alludes to history by citing examples of past civilizations that collapsed after prospering, and ones that had longevity because they avoided the perilous progress trap. Wright recommends that societies of today should use indispensable resources, such as history, to learn and apply the reasons as to why certain societies succeeded, while also avoiding falling into the pitfalls of those that failed, the ones that experienced the progress trap. This can easily be interrelated with Godrej’s concept of “the overheated engine of human progress,” since humans for centuries have been risking environmental degradation for progress through ceaseless industrialization and manufacturing. This exchange is doomed to prevent improved progress and will lead to society’s inevitable decline since it is unquestionable that in the unforeseeable future, cl...

    Read More

  • Something New Under the Sun

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the world as a whole has become greater and greater as each decade passes, the world has experienced a decline that overpowers the good that has happened in this century. Technology wise, the world has used this to our advantage, and become a greater and smarter world each day. However, the technology is a main reason for the world’s downfall.

    Read More

  • Myth Of Progress Summary

    294 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Myth of Progress goes in depth about the elements that define progress and how they impact the environment. The book discusses how people think and how the laws of physics effect the boundaries of nature. The Myth of Progress focused on linear versus complex systems throughout the entire book, this evaluation of them made me look at things in a new way. Complex problems do not have simple solutions even though people want a quick fix to everything. Everything about the environment is a complex system, yet humans keep looking for simple solutions to solve a growing problem. Understanding this forces people to change their thinking of the way systems work and blend together.

    Read More

  • Nietzsche's Revaluation of All Values

    2292 Words  | 5 Pages

    We need a critique of moral values, the value of these values should itself, for once, be examined?. [What if] morality itself were to blame if man, as a species, never reached his highest potential power and splendour? [GM P 6]

    Read More

  • How, If at All, Is Freedom Valuable?

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...t of the condition of the mankind, it involves learning, and the outcome is discovering the yet unknown. And it seems that progress is the highest when freedom is present, in other words we can not get the most out of ourselves if we have constraints. So by the definition of progress we are unable to say what good is it going to make us, but it will do something generally valuable.

    Read More

  • Technological advances in society

    2164 Words  | 5 Pages

    Technology enables students and teachers to have a fast and easy way to acquire unlimited access to tons of information. With all of the useful technologies, the curriculum is bound to change in endless ways, creating more opportunity for learning.

    Read More

  • Is Progress Inherently Neutral

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    I believe that progress is inherently neutral, and that what is often called progressive is the opposite. Progress is literally defined as a forward movement in space or time. On the contrary modern humans and I (before my experience) define progress along the lines of an increase in productivity, efficiency, advancement or have an overall preconceived notion that progress is always an inherently positive movement. I didn’t always believe that human notions of progress are dangerous; it was a slow process that began with internal and external reflection. “What color do you want?”

    Read More

  • Reflection On Progress

    1896 Words  | 4 Pages

    Initially most people would define progress as making some sort of improvement or the action of society moving forward. But does anyone ever question what is being improved? Or where exactly is forward? Before I began analyzing what progress meant I held a similar concept in my mind; I believed progress could be defined as improving the quality of life for all humanity. It was a nice and simple statement, straight to the point. Progress was something beneficial to all and made everything better. That was all I needed to know. Yet, after I thoroughly examined my original statement; I came to a very different conclusion. Overall progress is trying to make life easier for humanity by having advancements in technology, health care, and ways to socially interact. However certain disadvantages such as class, ethnicity or race make universal

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between Technology and Society

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    This paper discusses the relationship between technology and society. It focuses on how technology has influenced various aspects of the society. The areas looked are: how technology has affected the communication, transportation, education, health, economic activities, environment, food production, food conservation and preservation and food distribution. It has gone further to explain how technology has radically changed the demographic structure of the societies in question, specifically Japan society. In addition, it has discussed how technology has influenced government policy formulation.

    Read More

More about The Triangle of Human Progress: Society, Technology, and Morality

Open Document