Is progress actually possible or is it a false hope?

Question

I'm talking about progress in terms of ethics and politcs, rather than in areas such as science and technology where progress is self-evident.

If you look at the world today you will see that despite slavery being illegal, it is still widely practised, even in the west. Most of the world is ruled by totalitarrian dictators or is in a state of anarchy. Remember that the world is not just the west.

Answer 1

Hope and progress are both false. What is real is the ability to believe in hope and progress even after knowing they are false.

Answer 2

It is almost impossible to define a society in terms of its moral standards, since every person has different ones, laws are constantly being broken, even inside the government illegal things are happening that no one knows about. All you can really rely on is having hope for yourself and to make sure that you progress towards whatever goal you have. That type of progress is definitely possible.

Answer 3

Progress in ethic and politic is possible, but it is very difficult to maintain and going backwards is always possible. It is the distinction between a culture and a civilization. We can always have a culture, but not always a civilization, which entails an ethical order of higher grade.
Technology might well be a peril to the ethics of civilization (see the writing of the French philosopher Jacques Elul).

Answer 4

I believe it is evident. Shoot just 50 years ago it was illegal to walk your cow down town and tie it to the post. When was the last time you saw that on the law books. It is also illegal to own another human being to do your work for you. Are you looking far enough into your history books?

Answer 5

as one nation falls to another and another ethics and politics change so that must be progress ? YA RIGHT .

Answer 6

We still are working with a 50,000 yr old brain and emotions. That has got to change before we can change.