Progress is something I have heard a lot about lately as it relates to politics. (The same concept is often referred to with the use of the word “change”.) So I looked up the definition of the word “progress” on Dictionary.com. The first definitions included the words “advancement,” “improvement,” “beneficial” and the like, but other definitions of the word did not contain any connotations whatsoever. Most definitions essentially describe progress as simply forward motion, whether in space or time.
For some reason, we forget that progress does not have an inherently positive connotation. The positive connotation we give probably stems largely from the fact that it has an antonym, “regress.” When we think of progress we subconsciously consider its opposite. The opposing nature of these words causes us to unintentionally assume that to progress is good but to regress is bad.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was not until 1603 that the word progress began to have a positive connotation, and even then, the word was only “usually [used] in a good sense.” Progress has not always been connected with improvement, and even though it is now, it is merely generally accepted that progress means something good.
I can think of many cases where progress is a bad thing. An illness progresses. Drinking too much progresses into alcoholism. Experimenting with drugs progresses to the use of harder drugs and eventually to addiction. Indeed, one definition of progress suggests a growth in severity. But the word progress really just means moving forward or onward. The questions are whether or not forward is where we want to go, and if there comes a time when it is best to stop moving altogether?
We like to believe that the future is guaranteed to be better than the present. Maybe this is optimism. Maybe it is idealism. Maybe it’s stupidity. It is not my intention to judge the quality of the future or the positive nature of progress. All I am saying is I think we need to be open to the truth that progress is not an inherently good thing.
When I think about progress, I cannot help but recall numerous artistic representations of utopian societies. What I find somewhat ironic about this genre of art is that it is referred to as dystopian rather than utopian. I have never seen a play, read a book, or watched a movie that portrayed an actual utopia. Of course, the reason for this can logically be ascribed to the fact that a story free of conflict is boring and hardly a story at all. Regardless, I find it interesting that the authors of novels such as “1984,” “Fahrenheit 451” and “The Giver,” as well as (more recently) movies such as “Gattaca,” “Minority Report,” “The Island,” and “V for Vendetta” seem to believe that progress not only can be bad but likely is.
If the reason we have a somewhat convoluted idea of progress is linked to the opposing nature of the words “progress” and “regress,” maybe we should spend some time considering the idea of regression. We must realize that regression is not necessarily bad. Regression, like progression, is inherently free of the connotations of good and bad.
Arguably the best stories speak not of progress, but rather a return from progress (a regression if you will). The stories that immediately come to mind are “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.” The theme of both of these epics is a return to the way things used to be. Indeed, many wonderful stories we love and cherish deal with a regression to better times.
If intellectuals the caliber of Tolkien, Lewis, Orwell, Bradbury, and Lowry seem to believe that progress is usually bad, and regression is usually good, it may do us well to at least consider their perspectives.
I am by no means calling for revolution or anything of the like. But if nothing else, the next time you hear someone spouting off how progressive something is, do not automatically pledge your support. Take a step back and look at what is being progressed from. Consider that there might not be anything wrong with the way things are, or that there may be something wrong with where the progression will end. Realize how hard it might be to stop the progress once it gets started. Think about what seemingly unconnected things might be changed in the wake of progress. Wonder how difficult it might be to regress if the progression is found to be undesirable.
If each of us does this, we might find ourselves realizing that things are not always as bad as they seem, and that they could always get worse. We may even begin to wish we could turn back time and live in “the good ole days.” If we all approach the idea of progress with a critical eye, we just might save ourselves and our successors a great deal of pain and heartache.
Matt Brumit is a junior Humanities major. He can be reached for comment at mbrumit@smu.edu.