Bonjour, actuellement en Terminale ES, je passe mon oral d'anglais dans une semaine. Quelqu'un pourrait corriger ma synthèse sur idea of progress?

Sujet du devoir

To introduce this topic, i would like to give a definition of the notion “The idea of progress”. The progress can be defined as an improvement, a development or a change - a technical, scientific or social advance which contributes to making the world a better place. However the idea of progress is still debated between those who consider that it’s beneficial and those for whom it’s harmful.

To what extent does progress change our vision of the world? Does it have advantages and drawbacks?

I will first deal with the progress in our actual society and its consequences. Then, i will talk about what it can become in the future.

Nowadays, the progress is around us, with different forms. The document “fighting for a future” clearly illustrate the medicine progress. Indeed, in this document, Anna Fitzgerald is a teenager whose sister is dying and whose parents keep using her body for medical purpose. With the medicine progress, many people are saved everyday through the transplantation of cord blood, lympocyles, peripheral blood, kidney, stem cells and others…

But these transplants can have bad consequences for the donor. Anna didn’t choose what she wants to do with her own body, she was born only for save her sister, it’s a real plight for her. Furthermore, she can die if the transplant goes wrong.

Thus, transplantation represents a revolution in the world, but there is no zero risk.

The second document “A booming business” shows us different form of progress. It deals with surrogate mothers in India. A surrogate mother is a woman who will be pregnant for another. The fetus will grow in his belly but at his birth, will be given to those who become parents. This is called gestational surrogacy and helped many infertile couples to have a child.

Though this progress is a leap forward in our society, it's prohibited in France.

Some people say that it exploits women who have no other choice but to resort to this method to improve their standard of living like Sarita who will probably be ostracized. It might even be seen as a lawful attack against women’s independence.

Even if progress is already present in our society, it is constantly evolving.

I will now talk about a probable future through a caricature and a document.

The text “Design your baby” illustrates perfectly the progress of medicine in the future. Indeed, it’s talks about PGD. The pre-implantation genetic diagnostic is unparalleled technique, which can cure severe illnesses and prolong the life of weaker beings. This technique represents a scientific breakthrough. Nevertheless, apart of the medical objectives which are advocated, PGD also serves cosmetic purposes. Indeed, this invention can also be used to select the physical characteristics of a future baby. That is the designer baby.

The purpose of this invention at the beginning was to reduce diseases. But in fact, it's misused, it’s like you were playing god with human beings. Consequently, Use PGD to design the baby is a bad idea because our society could become superficial. The physical could be the main factor of integration. Indeed, designer baby could open the door to the idea that some people who don’t respect the standard of beauty could be rejected and seen as outcasts.

The cartoon “odd man out” clearly shows us the consequences of an artificial society. It represents perfect men, exact duplicate, well built, tan, and muscular. There is an odd man with them. He is pale, thin and disproportionately and is being lifted by large metal tongs, to be dropped into the huge dumpster owing its divergence.

As a conclusion I'll give you my point of view. As a matter of course, the progress is essential in our world, especially the medicine progress because to many people died every day of illnesses. However, it’s necessary to respect our principles and be aware of the risks of this progress. Governments and scientist have to draw a clear line between what is ethically acceptable or not to prevent overflow.