Fortschritt

World history is the progress in the consciousness of freedom, a progress that we must recognize in its necessity, said Hegel. This dictum can be considered paradigmatic for the optimistic view of progress during the Enlightenment. However, undeniable achievements of progress in all areas of life have always been accompanied by the darker sides of that very progress. In his essay, Moshe Zuckermann explores this dialectic. In the first part, he panoramically outlines the theoretical dimensions, aspirations, and contradictions of modernity, enlightenment, and progress. In the second part, he addresses the empirical impacts of this entire complex on the fields of politics, society, technology, art, and everyday life.