Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world? Surely progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more and more manifest. Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge.

 

Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by means of speech. With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored. Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound interest law, which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing. All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was suddenly raised. Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan. The trickle became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent. Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account. What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature. but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life.

 

The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge? As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil. It is now being used indifferently for both. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.

 

為什么進步這個概念在現代世界顯得如此突出？無疑是因為有一種特殊的進步實際上正在我們周圍發生，而且變得越來越明顯。雖然人類有智力和道德上沒有得到普遍提高，但在知識積累方面卻取得了巨大的進步。

 

人一旦能用語言同別人交流思想，知識的積累便開始了。隨著書寫的發明，又邁進了一大步，因為這樣一來，知識不僅能交流，而且能儲存了。藏書使教育成為可能，而教育反過來又豐富了藏書，因為知識的增長遵循著一種“滾雪球”的規律。印刷術的發明又大大提高了知識增長的速度。所有這些發展都比較緩慢，而隨著科學的到來，增長的速度才突然加快。于是，知識便開始有系統有計劃地積累起來。涓涓細流匯成小溪，小溪現已變成了奔騰的江河。而且，新知識一旦獲得，便得到實際應用。所謂“現代文明”并不是人的天性平衡發展的結果，而是積累起來的知識應用到實際生活中的結果。

 

現在人類面臨的問題是：用這些知識去做什么？正像人們常常指出的，知識是一把雙刃刀，可以用于造福，也可以用來為害。人們現在正漫不經心地把知識用于這兩個方面，例如：炮兵利用科學毀壞人的身體、而外科醫生就在附近用科學搶救被炮兵毀壞的人體，還有什么情景比這更可怕、更怪誕的嗎？我們不得不嚴肅地問問我們自己：隨著日益增長的知識的力量，如果我們繼續利用知識的這種雙重性，將會發生什么樣的情況呢？