Discussion: What happened to progress?

In much of the Western world, a curious paradox has emerged: despite living in an age of extraordinary global economic progress, public sentiment is increasingly marked by pessimism. Billions have been lifted out of poverty, life expectancy has risen, and technological breakthroughs – from AI to renewable energy – promise transformative change. But many in affluent societies feel disillusioned.

Public discussion focusses on stagnating real wages, perceptions of rising inequality, climate crisis, foreign wars, the impact of high levels of immigration and a sense that the future no longer offers a better world. Talk of progress is largely dismissed as misplaced optimism. The postwar narrative of continual improvement seems fractured, overwhelmed by anxieties about automation, climate collapse, immigration and political dysfunction. Progress, once a shared horizon, now feels fragmented and highly questionable.

By contrast, in large parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, optimism is more palpable. Rapid improvements in living standards, urbanisation, expanding middle classes, and digital connectivity have fuelled a sense of possibility. For many in these regions, progress is not a fading memory but a lived reality.
What does the evidence tell us? Is the world continuing on the road to progress? Or have we entered a period of stagnation and decline? And why is public discourse so focussed on the negatives whilst ignoring the positives?

David Good will be leading the discussion based on a paper from last year's lunchtime discussion group. More resources on the topic are available here

Our monthly talks/discussions are on the 3rd Tuesday at the Quaker Meeting House (with a break in August) and are typically followed by a Q&A or discussion. Tea and coffee are available at the start of the meeting.
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