The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human. --John Naisbitt, CharityFocus http://www.charityfocus.org/
The idea of progress is detrimental to the life of the spirit, because it encourages us to view our lives, not under the aspect of eternity, but as moments in a universal process of betterment. We do not, therefore, accept our lives for what they are, but instead consider them always for what they might someday become - John Gray
The greater part of progress is the desire to progress - Seneca (Roman statesman and philosopher, circa 4 B.C.E.-65 C.E.)
The enormous gains of civilisation are constantly being called into question. What were once, rightly, seen as huge benefits to humanity are now viewed with anxiety. The water that we drink and use to clean ourselves is seen as a scarce resource. Cheap food - which has liberated us from the curse of constantly living on the edge of starvation - is blamed for causing obesity. Long-distance travel is stigmatised. Cars are blamed for causing pollution and contributing to global warming. Aircraft are also accused of damaging the environment and the passengers they carry are criticised for undermining local cultures. Attacks on modernity have their origins in the West rather than the Middle East. If a war is to be fought it should be against the ideology of anti-modernism emanating from Western societies - Daniel Ben-Ami is a writer on economics and author of Cowardly Capitalism: The Myth of the Global Financial Casino.
Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other - Henry David Thoreau
Like much else in secular thought the idea of progress is a legacy of Christianity - John Gray, http://www.markvernon.com/friendshiponline/dotclear/index.php?post/2009…
If we could agree, as a species, what we wanted, where we were headed, and why, then we would make our future much less dangerous - then we might understand what we can and should relinquish. Otherwise, we can easily imagine an arms race developing over (GNR) Genetics, Nanotechnology, Robotics technologies, as it did with the NBC technologies in the 20th century - Bill Joy
Humankind's power over nature has increased by leaps and bounds, but there has been no corresponding progress in solving political and social problems Most advances...such as living standards and life expectancy, can be attributed to natural, not social science - George Soros (49)
Humanity progresses mainly through paradigmic individuals and institutions. Maximum inspiration is given when paradigmic individuals are at the helm of paradigmic institutions - John XXIII, John Paul II, Dag Hammarsjkold and U Thant are examples of such fortunate occurrences - Robert Muller
At every crossing on the road that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand appointed to guard the past - Maurice Maeterlinck Belgian playwright and Nobel Prize-winning author, 1862-1949