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Of course, such progress has not come without costs. One harmful byproduct of industrial
progress is environmental pollution, and its threat to public health. Another is the alienation of
assembly-line workers from their work. And, the Internet breeds information overload and
steals our time and attention away from family, community, and coworkers. Nevertheless, on
balance both the modern-industrial and computer revolutions have improved our standard of
living and comfort level; and both constitute progress by any measure.
In sum, enduring problems such as war, poverty, and violence ultimately spring from human
nature, which no technological innovation short of genetic engineering can alter. Thus the
statement is correct in this respect. However, ifwe define "progress" more narrowly--in terms of
economic standard of living and comfort level--recent technological innovations have indeed
brought about clear progress for humanity.
Issue 46
"It is through the use of logic and of precise, careful measurement that we become aware of
our progress. Without such tools, we have no reference points to indicate how far we have
advanced or retreated."
Do we need careful measurements and logic to determine whether and to what extent we
are progressing or regressing? I agree that in certain endeavors quantitative measurements
and logical analysis of data are essential for this purpose. However, in other realms objective
data provides little guidance for determining progress. My view applies to individuals as well as
society as a whole.
As for monitoring individual progress, the extent to which careful measurement and logical
analysis of data are required depends on the specific endeavor. In the area of personal finance,
objective measurements are critical. We might feel that we are advancing financially when we
buy a new car or a better home, or when our salary increases. Yet these signs of personal
economic success can be deceptive. Cars depreciate quickly in value, and residential real
estate must appreciate steadily to offset ownership expenses. Even a pay raise is no sure sign
of personal financial progress; if the raise fails to keep pace with the cost of living then the real
salary is actually in decline.
In the area of one's physical well-being, however, quantitative measurement might be useful
yet insufficient. Quantitative data such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, and body weight
are useful objective indicators of physical health. Yet quantitative measurement and logic can
only take us so far when it comes to physical well-being. Levels of physical discomfort and
pain, the most reliable indicators of physical well-being, cannot be quantified. And of course
52
our emotional and psychological well-being, which can have a profound impact on our physical
health, defy objective measurement altogether.
On a societal level, as on a personal level, the extent to which careful measurement and
logic are needed to determine progress depends on the endeavor. In macro-economics, as in
personal finance, objective measurements are critical. For example, a municipality, state, or
nation might sense that things are improving economically when its rate of unemployment
declines. Yet if new jobs are in poor-paying positions involving unskilled labor, this apparent
advance might actually be a retreat. And, a boom in retail sales might amount to regress if the
goods sold are manufactured by foreign firms, who benefit from the boom at the expense of
domestic business expansion. Technological progress also requires careful measurement.
Advances is computer technology can only be determined by such factors as processing and
transfer speeds, numbers ofinstaUations and users, amounts of data accessed, and so forth.
And, advances in biotechnology are determined by statistical measurements of the
effectiveness of new drugs and other treatments, and by demographic statistics regarding the
incidence of the ailments that the technology seeks to ameliorate.
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