进步观念的结构、内涵与前景

On the Idea of Progress: It’s Structure, Implication and Future

Since the modern age, a concept of progress which advocates reason, promotes change and approves of innovation has replaced the idea of “destiny” and “the mandate of heaven”, becoming a theory of historical process. This concept of progress, as a way of thinking about the model of historical evolution, was created and established in the intellectual movement of thinkers’ structuring philosophy of history. Its most fundamental element is about future’s prediction, models and stages of change, as well as synthesis of the past. The basic implications of the idea of progress are knowledge and intelligence developments, humanity’s perfection, equality’s realization, moving towards freedom as well as conquering the nature. Since the twentieth century, a negative impact from the progress towards “conquering the nature” makes more and more people doubt the progress. This concept of progress can obtain a rebirth and continue to give its guidance to human beings to create the history only by means of taking Marxist idea of “ a comprehensive and free development of very person” as its implication.