Done Quote by Russell Baker
“Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Cost of Progress", The Atlantic, 2019
Justifying harmful actions as necessary for progress often masks moral failure rather than true advancement.
In simple terms: Excusing harm as progress is usually just harm.
Key Takeaway
Question the morality behind so-called progress.
Themes
ethics
progress
morality
politics
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy making
- technological development
- corporate decisions
- public debate
- activism
Key Concepts
utilitarianism
critical thinking
social responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- What harms are justified in the name of progress?
- How can we differentiate true progress from harmful shortcuts?
A Different Perspective
Progress narratives can be used to suppress dissent.
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
