Social Development and Relevant Evaluation Criteria

Development of the concept of social progress has undergone a process of changes. Bacon and Discare argue for a concept based on human ability in recognition and controlling the world. The German school or enlightenment, on the other hand, holds the idea of advocating reasoning, believing in the function of education and enlightenment, and regarding all this as a means to ensure continuous progress in history. But Weber,Ranke and Buckhoot not only doubted the concept of historical progress, but objected to introducing the concept of progress into the study of history. The concept of progress in Marxism is a dialectic one. Marx interpreted social progress in the light of historical progress and its complexity. According to Marx, the criterion of history and criterion of values are similar in the long run but diverge at specific periods of time. They may ultimately become integrated in social practice, and it is in social practice alone that they can become integrated.