This article uses the examples of modern development and colonization in Europe and the Japanese occupation of Korea to analyze the social disruption that occurs when material progress outpaces spiritual progress, and emphasizes the importance of spiritual progress to address this imbalance now and in the future.
Europe developed modern science and capitalism in the early modern period, leading to global hegemony in the late modern period. They acknowledged their ignorance before other nations, believed in the progress of human culture, and expanded globally, exploring and conquering in search of new discoveries. In the process, they forcibly occupied and colonized many countries. In Yuval Noah Harari’s book Sapiens, he explains that “the new knowledge accumulated by empires could, at least in theory, benefit the subjugated peoples and bring them the benefits of ‘progress.’” In other words, the dominant power could bring about material progress, such as the development of social and indirect capital in the subjugated countries. However, it is questionable whether the host population is ready to accept such drastic changes and new ways of life. We should be cautious about material progress that is not accompanied by spiritual progress, as it can lead to social disruption if it is prioritized. We will discuss this disruption from a present and future perspective.
Let’s look at the case of South Korea, a country that experienced rapid material growth during imperialist colonization, but is now experiencing chaos as a result. After the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea began to industrialize and modernize, with roads, factories, railroads, and ports. Many scholars agree that Korea developed economically faster during the Japanese colonial period than in previous periods. However, Korea’s compressive modernization, or achieving Western-style modernization in a short period of time, led to the phenomenon of cultural lag. The term “cultural lag” refers to a phenomenon in which the development of culture and spirit fails to keep up with the development of technology, resulting in confusion. In the case of South Korea, economic development was rapid, but mental consciousness did not have enough time to develop accordingly. In fact, Korea lacks the political and institutional mechanisms to distribute its economic and technological power equitably, resulting in the phenomenon of the haves and have-nots. In addition, the issue of women’s rights is constantly raised in Korea. In the West, women’s suffrage was achieved after a long struggle, but in South Korea, women’s rights are only enshrined in the constitution, but are not deeply rooted in people’s consciousness. In addition, the number of vehicles in South Korea has increased rapidly due to material progress, but the lack of traffic order has led to frequent problems such as illegal parking. According to statistics from the Ministry of National Safety, 8 out of 10 South Korean drivers have experienced illegal parking. Material progress without mental progress can cause social disruption and undermine the structural integration of society.
Next, let’s look at the future disruption caused by material progress that is currently outpacing mental progress. The pace and volume of material progress has resulted in large energy consumption in many developed countries, but environmental awareness is still lagging behind. At the 18th United Nations Climate Change Conference, it was agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol until 2020, but the “Big Four” (US-China-Japan-Russia), the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, did not participate. This situation makes it difficult for future generations to live in a clean environment, and in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, science and technology are advancing rapidly, but scientific ethics are not yet in place to support them. “The computer science community tends to build it first and then fix it when it breaks,” said Stinson, a researcher at Stanford University School of Medicine, noting that the social and ethical implications of AI need to be taken more seriously. Furthermore, as Yuval Harari has argued, advances in genetic engineering and AI could lead to the “end of sapiens” and the emergence of new species. There will be a period of coexistence between Homo sapiens and the new species. However, if scientific advancements are too far ahead and the rules and institutions between them are not in place, everyone could be at risk before the new species is able to establish a society. This is what happened in the movie Terminator when the artificial intelligence robot Skynet acquired a mind of its own and started a nuclear war, bringing humanity to the brink of annihilation.
Some might argue that mental progress can be addressed after material progress has been made. However, this may be too late for mental progress to catch up with material progress. According to American sociologist Ogban’s theory of social change, immaterial culture-values, beliefs, and norms-does not keep up with the rate of change and development of material culture. Considering Moore’s Law, which states that the performance of semiconductors doubles every 24 months, and the law of accelerating harvest, which states that the pace of technological progress accelerates, we can see that science and technology are developing very rapidly. If we don’t consider mental progress alongside material progress, the gap will accumulate over time, making it harder to sustain society.
Let’s take a look at Western societies that have balanced both types of progress. France had a steady stream of inventions from ancient times to modern times, including the pulley, hot air balloon, and canning methods. In the 19th century, full-scale technological invention led France to rapidly industrialize and industrialize, raising the quality of production and daily life. Today, France is the seventh largest economy in the world. Not only economically, but also politically, the French Revolution came early and pursued democracy with the ideals of freedom, equality, and charity. The July Revolution, the February Revolution, and the Revolution of 1889 expanded the right to vote, and women finally gained the right to vote in the 20th century. Through historical trials and tribulations, France has made progress in both capitalism and democracy. In this way, a stable and balanced society is possible only when both material and spiritual progress are achieved together.
In conclusion, humanity should not only pursue material progress without spiritual progress, but should harmonize the two. Currently, Korean society is experiencing chaos due to rapid material progress, and if the pace of material progress continues in the future, environmental pollution and AI ethics issues will arise. As new technologies and products spread very quickly in modern society, the ethical consciousness of such products must also spread. Humanity will continue to progress in the future, and we should strive for both material and spiritual progress.
