Progress is always good; that is what people usually believe in. the idea of progress is the theory that human condition improves due to the advances in science, technology, and society (The idea of progress, 2010, http://en.wiki.com/the_idea_of _progress). Progress does not always have a positive effect on people. Although progress gives better solutions to the problems people face, not all people benefit from it. This essay aims to show the reader that progress, no matter how helpful it may be, has a negative effect.
Before the modern era, ethnic cultures were widely practiced. Due to the progress of technology and society, ethnic cultures are slowly being forgotten. Nowadays, people would rather spend their time inside the house and use their gadgets than to go outside and participate with their family’s traditions. Ethnic culture also involves working hard to earn a living. Most people would rather use modern technology or other people to do the job for them. Because of this, they would not know and understand the values that can be learned by working hard. Progress also makes ethnic culture seem boring and uninteresting to do or practice. People tend to forget or disregard their ethnic cultures and beliefs due to the stereotype that practicing them would make them uncool or that it I s not in the way towards progress. Because of progress, products from other countries are made available here, which makes local people patronize foreign products than the local ones. Although there are still countries like China who, despite being a progressive country, still practices their ethnic traditions. That is a good example of what progress should always put into consideration. But despite of this, there are still people in China who do not practice it as much as they did before because of progress. Progress does not stop the practice if ethnic culture but it slowly eradicates it, especially in the minds of the younger generation.
Progress is usually connected to technology. And due to the advances in technology, more and more factories rely on machines to do the work for them because it is cheaper but it also results to an increase in the unemployment rate. Factory workers are now being laid off of their jobs only to be replaced by machines. No matter how hardworking or talented the person is, he or she is still not considered as the best choice compared to the machines. Because of the recession and the economic crisis in different places around the world, it is now harder to find jobs stable enough to help sustain themselves and their families everyday. It would not be helpful if people are losing their jobs and being replaced by machines. Machines, on the other hand, are cheaper than having people do the work and they also make production a lot faster and more efficient. That may be a good thing for the company but if more people lose their jobs, then not a lot of people would get to buy the products that the machines have made.
People develop and improve mainly technology to help solve the problems of people and to lessen the workload to help make life easier. Because of this, people rely more on technology to do the work for them and, most of the time, just sit around and wait for the achiness to finish the job for them. This results to an unhealthy lifestyle. Some people may admit it or not, but they depend more on technology and the progress of society to do things for them than to exert effort themselves. If people do not move around that much, they tend to forget about exercising or putting effort on what they are doing. Lack of exercise can lead to an unhealthy life and can result to sickness. There are products of progress that help promote healthy living like, for example, exercise machines. These help people get in shape but most people do not use them because they think that technology is meant to make life and work easier so that they could not get tired anymore.
Progress is not just limited to advances in technology or science, but also to the economy and society. It may denote a positive effect in everyone concerned but it is not always true. “To the minds of most people the desirable outcome of human development would be a condition of society which all the inhabitants of the planet would enjoy a perfectly happy existence […] it cannot be proved that the unknown destination towards which man is advancing is desirable.” (Bury, the idea of progress, p.2) People may not always know about it, but it here would always be a negative effect in some, if not all, people. Those who develop or want progress should always bear in mind the different negative outcomes and not only think of the benefits it could give. As the famous physicist, Isaac Newton said: “For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.”
Sources: The Idea of Progress, http://en.wiki.com/the_idea_of_porgress, 2010
Bury, The Idea of Progress
~ the essay is well-written and its construction is unique
ReplyDelete~ good choice of words and quotations.
~ there are some ideas in one sentence. try to split them to make the paragraph have more explanations.
~ correct some citations with the correct APA format and add more references
~ the Con-Progress idea is seen throughout the essay. Nice work, Clarisse ^^
[jDaryl47(^_-\m/)]
"Progress also makes ethnic culture seem boring and uninteresting to do or practice. People tend to forget or disregard their ethnic cultures and beliefs due to the stereotype that practicing them would make them uncool or that it Is not in the way towards progress."
ReplyDeletethis is so true you'll hardly see people practicing these ethnic cultures. you'll just see it being performed in cultural shows as a form of entertainment.
points were presented clearly and straight to the point. it wold have been better if you added another point.
i like your last statement :))
(As the famous physicist, Isaac Newton said: “For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.”)