Scientific and technological progress (NTP) is the foundation of modern Western civilization

The scientific and technical process of the New Time (hereinafter NTP) is a rapid development of technologies that began in the 18th century and continues to this day. The importance of technological innovation can not be overemphasized in their impact on European civilization. And the whole planet.

Industrial Revolution

The first stage of NTP is the so-called industrial revolution, which began in England in the middle of the 18th century and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. This stage of scientific and technological progress was characterized, mainly, by the mechanization of labor, which had previously been manual.

Pioneers from the British Isles

Traditionally it is considered that NTP is the brainchild of this particular country. It is here that since the 1760s important changes have been made in some areas of light and heavy industry. For example, the invention of a machine for yarn led to the dominance of England in European as well as American tissue markets. The appearance of the first steam engine in this country led to the replacement of the English fleet with new types of ships - high-speed and ergonomic. This further strengthened the traditional advantage of the British fleet over the rest of Europe.

The achievements of scientific and technological progress were also manifested in Infrastructure development. An example is the emergence of steam locomotives, as a result of which the country was soon entangled by a whole network of railways that facilitated communication between different regions of the country, trade between them and so on. Important transformations have occurred in heavy industry. For example, the invention of the milling machine has led to a significant jump in the development of engineering.

Industrial Revolution in Europe

Of course, the first stage of STP is a phenomenon that is not unique to England. In this country, everything began, but very soon progressive trends were adopted on the continent. Here there were own giants of light and heavy industry. For example, Germany, still a backward agrarian country in the middle of the 19th century, by the beginning of the 20th managed to significantly increase its military and technological potential. In some areas - chemical, for example, it has become a leader.

NTP in Economics and Society

At the same time, these processes were not exhausted only by technological, commercial and military confrontation between competing states. The results of the progress lay much deeper. The development of technology and the transition to machine labor literally destroyed the old agrarian-feudal relations and stimulated the development of bourgeois-capitalist relations based on trade and free competition. Along with the changes in the economic system, the very nature of society also changed: new classes arose (primarily workers and the bourgeoisie), urban growth accelerated, and new socio-economic ideas arose that would significantly transform the world.

The scientific and technological revolution in our everyday life

Today we are all witnesses of the second stage of scientific and technical progress. By It began approximately in the middle of the 20th century and is expressed in space exploration, mass computerization (the first IBM developments date back to 1940) and the Internetization of the world space. Moreover, the unprecedented development of technologies invariably leads to social transformations. For example, the complex automation of the production sphere made it possible to release billions of workers for other spheres of activity. For the first time in the history of the planet, a significant part of its population is not engaged in the production of food and goods of the first vital need. The knowledge-intensive industries, the sphere of marketing specializations and so on are increasing, leading to the emergence of what we now call a post - industrial society.