Regression is a concept contrary to progress

Everyone knows that progress is a positive phenomenon, which means a movement toward a higher organization. But regression is exactly the opposite direction from complex to simple, from high organization to low, degradation.

Consider different views on the history of society from the point of view of these two differently directed phenomena.

• The concept of the "golden age". First there was a society of justice without crises and problems, with complete mutual understanding, after which it took the path of regression: disputes, wars, the standard of living fell . This theory echoes the story from the Bible about the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise.
• Cyclic development. This concept emerged already in ancient times. It says that the development of society passes through the same stages at regular intervals, everything repeats itself.
• Progressive development. This idea also appeared in antiquity, but a great contribution to this theory was made by the French philosophers of the XVIII century.

In the Christian religion, the criterion of progress was spiritual development, an elevation to God. Criteria for regression are completely the opposite. Some researchers considered progress to be an increase and improvement in the quality of productivity. But later it became clear that progress was far from being achieved in all spheres of life, and in many areas it was possible to regress. This questioned this model of the development of society.

Components of progress

In general, there are two main components of progress:

• The formation of social groups that ensure the organization of society.
• Level of happiness, freedom of a person, integrity of the individual, individuality, confidence in a social society.

It can be concluded that the history of the development of society can not go linearly, revealing some patterns. It then rises upwards towards progress, then unexpectedly meets regress. This is a feature that is some contradiction of development. Sometimes its price is so high that we do not notice when we start to sink.

Nature seems to have a certain balance that can not be violated. If we begin to develop one side of life, then prosperity in another begins to fall with great speed. There is an assumption that this balance can be preserved if we focus on the humanization of society, that is, the individuality of each person will be recognized as the highest value.

Biological progress and regression

Biological regression is a decrease in the number of individuals of a certain species, a deterioration in the variety of forms, a reduction in protection against external factors. It can be the cause of the complete disappearance of the species

Progress in the biological sense is the development of the organism or several organisms for the best adaptation of them in the environment. Here it is possible not only to complicate, but also simplify the organization of species, the main thing is that the level of survival in the conditions of this environment is increased. Biologist A.N. Severtsov developed four main characteristics of biological progress:

1. Improving the adaptation of species to the environment;
2. Increase in the number of group representatives;
3. Variety of forms;
4. Expansion of the range.