A Short History of Progress - 2404 Words

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is typically portrayed as it contradicts the conventional way life is viewed: as being a natural progression from the outdated and tried towards the new and improved.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 â€Å"progress trap† refers to the phenomenon of innovations that create new complications that are typically left without resolve which exacerbate†¦show more content†¦The humans living in that period were unable to supplement their previous diet, which was rich in protein, and their culture was devastated as a result; this then, is an example of progress (better hunting methods) that led to the failure of an entire culture as its problems were left unsolved. In his third chapter, Wright examines two particular civilizations that thrived but eventually declined due to resource depletion. What is interesting is the similarities that can be drawn from the examples of Easter Island and Sumer, like the widespread ignorance of the masses to actively prevent the abrasion of their land, the perpetual idleness of people to not do anything even when there was enough time to stop the tragic collapse, to current-day situations of people who even flat-out deny climate change and claim it to be part of the left-wing agenda. On Easter Island, it was over-logging that led to their collapse, since as their ecosystem withered away, logging became scarce, and wars broke out for those sparse resources. In Sumer similar environmental destruction occurred (i.e. overgrazing, land clearing), which should alarm the world population of today of what may become of th e high levelsShow MoreRelatedA Short History Of Progress By Ronald Wright1404 Words   |  6 Pageswants the best for their country. As a responsible citizen, we are in charge of the development of our country. Throughout human evolution, there have been drastic changes all over the world, which have brought us to today. In the book, A Short History of Progress written by Ronald Wright, Wright states ideas on how to be a responsible citizen and why a person should. The book includes multiple reasons that shape a large discussion on Responsible Citizenship, which is very important for the peopleRead MoreInto The Wild, When I Woke Up On Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday, and Another Look Back, And A Look Ahead1543 Words   |  7 Pagesachieved evolutionary progress in history through the desire to live a better life and the ability to adapt to even the harshest conditions. To be sheltered from the harsh weather conditions, early humans learned to live in caves. To fight off wild anima ls as well as to cook food, humans developed their own way of making fire after accidental encounters of the process through wildfires caused by lightning. However, progress did not come lightly and through the search for further progress, humans are inevitablyRead MoreHuman Progress: The Vicious Circle Essay1567 Words   |  7 Pagesthinkers have discussed transhumanism and human enhancement. They are the result of centuries of progress and represent for a lot of us the ultimate human attempt to transcend himself. Hence the critics that many formulate: this progress will affect us forever and we should be careful about it. However, the problem of progress in itself is not a recent one. Since humanity exists, it has not ceased to progress and every step that humanity took was criticized in its time. So while the need to discuss transhumanismRead More The Steam Engine and Electricity Powered the Industrial Revolution1704 Words   |  7 Pagesin the West, and then throughout the wor ld, transformed under the influence of technological and scientific progress. The Western world, as industrialized as it is today, is the final result. 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Allen, the Industrial Revolution could not have happened without aRead MoreTime Frame1002 Words   |  5 PagesRESOURCES NEEDED | PERSON/S RESPONSIBLE | EXPECTED OUTCOME | REMARS | * Agency orientation * Building a relationship with them through short conversation and self introduce. * Prepare a comprehensive write up of agency profile and some informative document | 1 week | Manual of the department | AFI, Agency staff Interns. | To know the history of agency.To Familiarized the client staff. | Achieved | * Conduct intake interview with the clients. * Prepare an intake record. * CollateralRead MoreTechnology And Environment : Technology1478 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is demonstrated through Ronald Wright’s theory of the progress trap and theories of environmental degradation (Cameron, par. 5).  However, the repair and reversal of a damaged environment depends largely on technology through means for better water, cleaner air and conserving energy; insofar as being inevitable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ronald Wright, a prestigious historian, coined the term â€Å"progress trap† in his book A Short History of Progress.  Aprogress trap is a condition or situation in which unintentionalRead MoreProblems With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder751 Words   |  4 Pageslacks the social skills to interact with her peers during recess. 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This question puts the Annales School of history under the scrutiny and debates of many modernRead MorePolitics And Progress : The Emergence Of American Political Science1013 Words   |  5 PagesPolitics and Progress: The Emergence of American Political Science by Dennis Mahoney is an account of the origins of contemporary political science in the Progressive Movement. In the book, Mahoney, attempts to show how American political science came to be due to the influence of three different factors. The first factor is German Historicism and its allgemeine Staatslehre, or general State theory. The second factor is philosophical pragmatism and the final factor is political Progressivism. MahoneyRead MoreCommon Goals And Potential Synergy Between An Organisation And A Stakeholder1407 Words   |  6 Pagesand establishing goals that can be long or short term that will be able to meet the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. 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