ABSTRACT
A review of history indicates that historical progress is a concept recent in history. Despite its origin in ancient society, the concept of social progress was never dominant in ancient ideology, either in the East or in the West. However, history is often remembered as the “good old days” that frequently eclipse the contemporary experience. The concept of historical progress is a product of modern thoughts. History is not a repetitive or stagnant process, but an upward and forward tendency of sustained advancement. The decisive power behind historical progress is humans’ practical activities. To meet their basic survival needs, humans have engaged in material production throughout time. The process of social evolution and historical progress represents dialectical unity between quantity and quality. At a particular level of quantitative accumulatio, social development may enter a critical juncture. As a result, significant social contradictions or challenges as well as development opportunities will emerge.
