| THE QUESTION OF PROGRESS Progress is often assumed to be implicit in evolutionary theory (evolution = progress). But is evolution always (or ever) progressive? Usual comparison -- pre-agricultural people - agri. elites (peasants ignored) - modern core pops (us!) Progress: standard of living, tech & educ, demo & indiv freedom, equality/citizenship Impressive picture of progress - but very biased view because it doesn�t include most humans. WSYS Theory approach: pre-agri people - agri soc (mostly peasants) - cap wsys - all 3 sectors Defining progress --- 4 measures (Note: 4 measures are interactive) 1. Material standard of living (SOL) diet --- health --- longevity 2. Work and Workload, quality of work, quantity of work 3. Social/Economic inequality within societies (class systems), between socs (WSYS) 4. Democracy/Freedom forms of polit rule, individual autonomy, self-realization WSYS Theory explanatory strategy: Pre-agri -> Agri then Agri -> Cap WSYS Pre-agri -> Agri: nomadic hunter/gatherers to settled agri peasantry (driven partly by pop pressures) Diet: from animal-based (less efficient, more nutrition) to vegetable-based (more eff, less nutri) Health: from outdoor-based, nomadic, uncrowded to indoor-based, settled, crowded Sedentism: Vermin, mosquitos, waste accumulation -- poor health, epidemics, famine Longevity: estimates - HG - 31 Roman times - 37 Middle Ages - 34 Work & Workload: peasants worked more, div of labor began to make work �alienating� Soc/Econ Inequality: class systems and patriarchy arise with agri soc - huge inequality! Democracy/Freedom: from the �cage of kinship� to the �cage of power (class)� Bottom Line: Peasants in agri soc (95%+ of pop) worse off by any measure than HG�s. Agri - Cap WSYS: settled agri peasantry to urbanized �proletariat� (note Core-SP-Peri diffs) Note: early capitalism (1700�s & 1800�s) vs. later capitalism (1900�s) Diet: about half world pop pretty good, other half still veg-based diet, malnutrition still growing. Health: about 1/3 world pop pretty good/ sedentism, crowding + inadequate food + sporadic med care Longevity: Core -- 65+ SP -- 55+ Peri -- 45+ (gains reflect lower infant mort rates) Work & Workload: Core some improvement/ heavier workload, more alienating work, less return Soc/Econ Inequality: Social & Economic inequality still growing, internal and between sectors. Democracy/Freedom: �cage of class� & �cage of WSYS� but some �formal� improvement Bottom Line: Great progress for few, some progress for more, no progress for most of world population. |