Progress and History is a collection of essays that examines the much-debated idea of progress and its relationship to the study and meaning of history. Bringing together contributions on the theme, the volume reflects early twentieth-century interest in whether human affairs follow a path of improvement and how that belief shapes the interpretation of the past.
The essays consider progress in science, society, morality, and thought, weighing optimistic and sceptical views of humanity’s development over time. Drawing on history, philosophy, and the social sciences, the contributors explore how the concept influences our sense of where civilisation has come from and where it may be going. The book offers a thoughtful survey of an idea that has profoundly shaped modern historical and political imagination.