--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The 20th century ended with a single…" description: "\"The 20th century ended with a single surviving model of human progress.\" — George W. Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/george-w-bush-64_20th-century_the-20th-century-ended-with-a-single-sur_230503.jpg" --- # The 20th century ended with a single surviving model of… ![“The 20th century ended with a single surviving model of human progress.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/george-w-bush-64_20th-century_the-20th-century-ended-with-a-single-sur_230503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/george-w-bush-64_20th-century_the-20th-century-ended-with-a-single-sur_230503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/george-w-bush-64_20th-century_the-20th-century-ended-with-a-single-sur_230503.jpg) > “The 20th century ended with a single surviving model of human progress.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that by the end of the 20th century, only one dominant model of human progress remained viable. **In simple terms:** Only one model of progress survived the century. Key Takeaway Recognize the prevailing paradigm and its limits. Themes history progress societal models Mood reflective critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic research - strategic planning - technology forecasting Key Concepts modernization theory linear progress cultural hegemony Questions to Reflect On - What other models of progress were marginalized? - How does dominance affect innovation? A Different Perspective It overlooks alternative models and minority perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [20th century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20th-century/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Century Ended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century-ended-2092852/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Human progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-progress/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Single Surviving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-surviving-2334737/) [Surviving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surviving/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [As the 20th century ended, there were around 120 democracies in the world - and I can assure you more are on the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-the-20th-century-ended-there-were-around-120-democracies-in-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The twentieth century ended with its dreams in ruins. The notion of the community as a voluntary association of enlightened citizens has died forever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-twentieth-century-ended-with-its-dreams-in-ruins-the-notion-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By 1980, we knew it was time to renew our faith, to strive with all our strength toward the ultimate in individual freedom consistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/by-1980-we-knew-it-was-time-to-renew-our-faith-to-strive-with-all-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [At the beginning of the 20th century, before the migration began, 90 percent of all African-Americans were living in the South. By the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/at-the-beginning-of-the-20th-century-before-the-migration-began-90/) [Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/) > [Seriously. It was running out at Rolling Stone. First of all, they didn't feel the need for a dissident conservative voice in a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/seriously-it-was-running-out-at-rolling-stone-first-of-all-they-didn/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The threat today is not that of the 1930s. It's not big powers going to war with each other. The ravages which fundamentalist political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-threat-today-is-not-that-of-the-1930s-it-s-not-big-powers-going/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [With the end of the cold war, all the 'isms' of the 20th century - Fascism, Nazism, Communism and the evil of apartheid-ism -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/with-the-end-of-the-cold-war-all-the-isms-of-the-20th-century-fascism/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [For two generations up through the mid-1980s, many thought we were losing the Cold War, even in early 1989, few believed that Poland's solidarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/for-two-generations-up-through-the-mid-1980s-many-thought-we-were/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-are-not-deceived-by-their-pretenses-to-piety-we-have-seen-their/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [That's a chapter, the last chapter of the 20th, 20th, the 21st century that most of us would rather forget. The last chapter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/that-s-a-chapter-the-last-chapter-of-the-20th-20th-the-21st-century/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Knowledge of Nature is an account at bank, where each dividend is added to the principal and the interest is ever compounded; and hence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grove-karl-gilbert/knowledge-of-nature-is-an-account-at-bank-where-each-dividend-is/) [Grove Karl Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grove-karl-gilbert/) > [War, and the preparation for war, are the two greatest obstacles to human progress, fostering a vicious cycle of arms buildups, violence and poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/war-and-the-preparation-for-war-are-the-two-greatest-obstacles-to/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [It is not the child as a physical but as a psychic being that can provide a strong impetus to the betterment of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-not-the-child-as-a-physical-but-as-a-psychic-being-that-can/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) ## More by George W. Bush > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-the-time-and-those-are-the-ones/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“One of our energy strategies is to increase the CAFE standards to 35 miles per hour..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-our-energy-strategies-is-to-increase-the-cafe-standards-to-35/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There's a lot that I want to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-lot-that-i-want-to-accomplish/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Explore all 1,717 George W. Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More 20th century quotes > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free. We sent a generation to college. We cultivated the most educated workforce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-thrived-in-the-20th-century-because-we-made-high-school-free/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I've studied the lives of the 20th century's great businessmen and concluded self-confidence was instrumental in all their success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/i-ve-studied-the-lives-of-the-20th-century-s-great-businessmen-and/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [The great wars of the 20th Century made it into the worst Century ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/the-great-wars-of-the-20th-century-made-it-into-the-worst-century-ever/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [That is very different from how it used to be in the 20th century. Media was very one way. There's a small little industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/that-is-very-different-from-how-it-used-to-be-in-the-20th-century/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [If you look back on the history of the 20th century, the 19th century or even to the ancien régime of the 18th, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/if-you-look-back-on-the-history-of-the-20th-century-the-19th-century/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Up to the 20th century, we can say that this whole period was an Earth epoch, 'Earth' meaning the riches of the earth, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/up-to-the-20th-century-we-can-say-that-this-whole-period-was-an-earth/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/an-interesting-thing-about-new-zealand-you-know-literature-is-that-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [The Warmth of Other Suns is a sweeping and yet deeply personal tale of America's hidden 20th century history - the long and difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-warmth-of-other-suns-is-a-sweeping-and-yet-deeply-personal-tale/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) [Browse all 672 20th century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20th-century/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The 20th century ended with a single surviving model of human progress.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George W. 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