History lessons say progress comes after turmoil

Renato Marques

We often tell ourselves this comforting story about how humanity’s progress happens gradually through diplomacy, cooperation, and stability. In this version of history, societies advance through thoughtful debate and peaceful reforms.

On the other hand, the historical record reveals a much more disturbing truth. Most of the greatest advances in human progress have occurred not during peaceful, prosperous times, but in the wake of war, revolution, and intense social upheaval.

Conflict, paradoxically, has often compelled societies to face the contradictions they once chose to overlook.

The French Revolution shattered the long-held belief that monarchy was the natural form of government, spreading at the time the radical idea that sovereignty resides with the people.

Similarly, the American Civil War, fought at immense human cost, destroyed the institution of slavery and forced the United States to redefine its constitutional and moral foundations.

Across Europe, the devastation of World War I dismantled empires that had ruled for generations, while World War II produced an even more dramatic reordering.

Out of the ruins emerged institutions designed to prevent future catastrophe, such as the United Nations, the modern international human rights framework, and economic systems intended to stabilize global markets.

Wars also accelerated technological development at a pace rarely seen before, including the development of radar, jet engines, computers, and nuclear energy, all innovations that would reshape civilian life from then on.

The same has often happened with other forms of social progress, which have often required upheaval. The labor rights many workers take for granted today, such as limits on working hours, workplace safety regulations, and the right to demand better conditions, were never gifts from benevolent governments but were won through strikes, protests, and sometimes violent confrontations between workers and authorities during the industrial era.

In Macau, we are known for being home to many associations and groups, most of which have political and societal influence on daily life, including those related to workers’ rights, nurseries and schools, and social welfare.

In a peaceful and stable world, none of these associations and groups would have the space to form, grow, and gain the relevance they have today.

This pattern reveals something uncomfortable about how societies evolve. Stability can preserve injustice as easily as it preserves order, while systems that benefit from the status quo rarely reform themselves voluntarily.

Of course, my purpose here is not to romanticize conflict and war; there are many negative aspects to war, from the motivations of those behind the scenes to the loss of life and the destruction of countries and societies. What I mean is that perhaps we should not be so “dramatic” when it comes to conflict and so keen to “preserve stability” at all costs.

How many people became “rich” in times of stability in Macau?

Ask around and see how many people who now possess many assets started by taking a leap of faith during tough times and were rewarded.

My advice here is simple. Don’t let fear govern your thoughts. Stay attentive. Don’t blow things out of proportion or overthink the outcomes, but consider them carefully alongside the opportunities the situation presents.

In peaceful times, progress moves slowly. Existing systems are comfortable enough for those in power. In moments of crisis, however, the cost of maintaining the old order becomes greater than the risk of creating something new, and that should be the focus.