| Summary |
The purpose of this thesis is to show that the idea of progress first appeared during the eighteenth century and that the nineteenth century was the formulating century. Prior to the eighteenth century there were certain obstacles to an idea of progress such as the Greeks' cyclic view of history, and the other-worldly philosophy of the Middle Ages. These obstacles, as well as others would finally be broken down by the eighteenth century during which time the Marquis de Condorcet would establish the idea of progress. From that time on, the belief in such an idea would spread until by the nineteenth century it permeated all aspects of society. This belief can be seen in the works of four great thinkers of The first of these is Auguste Comte in the area of that era. philosophy. His Positive Philosophy expresses progress not only in society, but also in man himself. Next, there is Karl Marx in economics. His belief in the betterment of society by way of the economic philosophy of communism is another example of the belief in progress. Third is Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Finally, in the area of literature Charles Dickens calls out to people to recognize the evils in society and change them. All four men show the idea of progress and the scope of its acceptance during this time period. The nineteenth century is the formulating century for the modern idea of progress. This can be proven by examining four main areas of the nineteenth century: philosophy. economics, science, and literature. No other century before the nineteenth century shows such an idea of progress. The conclusion can be made that what the eighteenth century gave birth to, the nineteenth century matured into our modern idea of progress. |
