Re-assessing the Concept of Progress and the Transformation of Forms of Human Civilization
In contemporary society,discussions about civilization inherently encompass the progression of social history.The process of civilization can be understood as the materialization of progressive ideas,rendering them the fundamental nucleus of all modern civilizations.However,the concept of progress,embedded within historical and societal frameworks,does not consistently coexist with every expression of human civilization.Its particular significance has been developed and refined under the influence of modernity since the advent of the Enlightenment era.The emergence of the progressive idea marked a departure from notions of"regress"and"cyclicity"tied to concepts of"fate"and"divinity",steering the course of human civilization onto a modernity-infused trajectory,thereby charting a path divergent from preceding epochs.If modernity is understood as a fractured consciousness,the rise of the progressive ideology and the formation of the modern civilization paradigm effectively cleave the world into two dimensions:the traditional and the modern,supplanting the old,cyclical,and sacred order with a new,secular one that champions endless progress.The birth of the concept of progress marks the first transformative shift in human civilization within the realm of modernity:the rise of capitalist civilization in place of traditional social norms.However,as modernity has advanced,it has steadily turned the idea of progress from an anticipated hope into an imposed imperative,thereby endowing capitalist civilization with a seemingly indisputable aura of"validity".This compulsory conception of progress directly correlates with the dynamics of capital,where progress is channeled exclusively towards enhancing"capital productivity",while its compulsory aspect is manifested in the expansion of"power"that results from the growth of"capital productivity".As a power proliferation of capital,it rejects elements that fail to convert into surplus value,while insistently absorbing all that holds the potential to yield such value.Driven by the concept of progress,capitalist civilization strips human civilization of its multiplicity and further erodes the inventive essence of diverse ethnic communities.Furthermore,the productivity imperative of capital logic adheres to a"future-oriented logic",with the true aim lying in the quest for more rapid accumulation and enhanced riches.And this implies that the present can be sacrificed,and the happiness of modern people can be sacrificed.This coerced and distorted concept of progress is inherently malicious,representing an inescapable aspect of the developmental journey.It puts everyone in modern society at a disadvantage in the face of the fruits of modern civilization.Capitalist civilization,along with its associated ideas of progress,on one hand,embodies an"excessively modern"quality,thereby undermining modernity itself;on the other hand,by functioning as conduits for a novel iteration of servitude and primitive practices,they paradoxically render the essence of modernity"insufficiently modern",with the promise of liberty in modern times left unfulfilled.This makes it possible for the"center-periphery"model of a"subordinate"world order,while also posing great obstacles to the diversity of civilizations,ethnic uniqueness,and historical consciousness.Marx's concept of progress emphasizes the unity of regularity and purposefulness,which also constitutes the essence of the concept of historical progress.Only with such a progressive concept can we continuously demonstrate the rationality of history.The coercion of progressive concepts and the civilization of capital are precisely not the embodiment of this unity,let alone the ultimate fate of humanity.Although the civilized form of capital carries historical limitations,it still has undeniable and reference-worthy aspects,which requires new progressive concepts and new forms of civilization to maintain a dialogic consciousness and an open attitude of communication.In the process of grasping the laws of history and maintaining historical initiative,the Chinese path to modernization has broken the myth of Western style modernization;it has constructed new progressive ideas in institutional logic,subject logic and value logic;and it has transformed the form of human civilization once again by reorienting the new look of modernity in human civilizational form,thus truly standing on the right side of history and standing on the side of human civilizational progress.The opening of new progressive concepts and new forms of civilization is on the right side of history.
万方数据
维普
