It is through the use of logic and of precise, careful measurement that we become aware of our progress. Without such tools, we have no reference points to indicate how far we have advanced or retreated.
Do we need careful measurements and logic to determine whether and to what extent we are progressing or regressing? I agree that in certain endeavors quantitative measurements and logical analysis of data are essential for this purpose. However, in other realms objective data provides little guidance for determining progress. My view applies to individuals as well as society as a whole.
As for monitoring individual progress, the extent to which careful measurement and logical analysis of data are required depends on the specific endeavor. In the area of personal finance, objective measurements are critical. We might feel that we are advancing financially when we buy a new car or a better home, or when our salary increases. Yet these signs of personal economic success can be deceptive. Cars depreciate quickly in value, and residential real estate must appreciate steadily to offset ownership expenses. Even a pay raise is no sure sign of personal financial progress; if the raise fails to keep pace with the cost of living then the real salary is actually in decline.
In the area of one's physical well-being, however, quantitative measurement might be useful yet insufficient. Quantitative data such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, and body weight are useful objective indicators of physical health. Yet quantitative measurement and logic can only take us so far when it comes to physical well-being. Levels of physical discomfort and pain, the most reliable indicators of physical well-being, cannot be quantified. And of course
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our emotional and psychological well-being, which can have a profound impact on our physical health, defy objective measurement altogether.
On a societal level, as on a personal level, the extent to which careful measurement and logic are needed to determine progress depends on the endeavor. In macro-economics, as in personal finance, objective measurements are critical. For example, a municipality, state, or nation might sense that things are improving economically when its rate of unemployment declines. Yet if new jobs are in poor-paying positions involving unskilled labor, this apparent advance might actually be a retreat. And, a boom in retail sales might amount to regress if the goods sold are manufactured by foreign firms, who benefit from the boom at the expense of domestic business expansion. Technological progress also requires careful measurement. Advances is computer technology can only be determined by such factors as processing and transfer speeds, numbers ofinstaUations and users, amounts of data accessed, and so forth. And, advances in biotechnology are determined by statistical measurements of the effectiveness of new drugs and other treatments, and by demographic statistics regarding the incidence of the ailments that the technology seeks to ameliorate.
In contrast, socio-political progress is less susceptible to objective measurement. For instance, progress in social welfare might be measured by the number of homeless people, incidence of domestic violence, or juvenile crime rate. Yet would an increase in the number of single mothers on welfare indicate that our society is becoming more compassionate and effective in helping its victims, or would it indicate regress by showing that our private sector and education systems are failing? Moreover, when it comes to our legal system and to politics, progress has little to do with numbers, or even logic. For example, to what extent, if any, would more lenient gun ownership laws indicate progress, considering the competing interests of individual freedom and pubic safety? Do anti-abortion laws indicate a sociological advance or retreat? Or, when a political party gains greater control of a legislature by sweeping a particular election, is this progress or regress?
In sum, although the statement has merit, it unfairly generalizes. In areas such as finance, economics, and computing technology, all of which involve nothing but quantifiable data, nothing but careful measurement and logic suffice to determine the extent of progress. In other areas, such as health care and social welfare, determining progress requires both objective measurement and subjective judgment. Finally, progress in politics and law is an entirely subjective matter--depending on each individual's values, priorities, and interests.
| Post date | Users | Rates | Link to Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-15 | Kairavi Shah | 66 | view |
| 2020-09-29 | Tabassum Zaman | 83 | view |
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 7, column 764, Rule ID: PUBIC_X[1]
Message: Did you mean 'public'?
Suggestion: public
...ing interests of individual freedom and pubic safety? Do anti-abortion laws indicate ...
^^^^^
Line 7, column 871, Rule ID: A_PLURAL[2]
Message: Don't use indefinite articles with plural words. Did you mean 'gain'?
Suggestion: gain
... or retreat? Or, when a political party gains greater control of a legislature by swe...
^^^^^
Line 8, column 269, Rule ID: ENGLISH_WORD_REPEAT_BEGINNING_RULE
Message: Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym.
...ce to determine the extent of progress. In other areas, such as health care and so...
^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, finally, however, if, moreover, regarding, so, then, well, as for, for example, for instance, in contrast, of course, such as, as well as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 30.0 19.5258426966 154% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 16.0 12.4196629213 129% => OK
Conjunction : 42.0 14.8657303371 283% => Less conjunction wanted
Relative clauses : 17.0 11.3162921348 150% => OK
Pronoun: 30.0 33.0505617978 91% => OK
Preposition: 80.0 58.6224719101 136% => OK
Nominalization: 25.0 12.9106741573 194% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3710.0 2235.4752809 166% => OK
No of words: 665.0 442.535393258 150% => Less content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.57894736842 5.05705443957 110% => OK
Fourth root words length: 5.07814867018 4.55969084622 111% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.2212281356 2.79657885939 115% => OK
Unique words: 329.0 215.323595506 153% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.494736842105 0.4932671777 100% => OK
syllable_count: 1197.9 704.065955056 170% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.8 1.59117977528 113% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 6.0 6.24550561798 96% => OK
Article: 5.0 4.99550561798 100% => OK
Subordination: 8.0 3.10617977528 258% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 16.0 1.77640449438 901% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 11.0 4.38483146067 251% => Less preposition wanted as sentence beginnings.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 34.0 20.2370786517 168% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 23.0359550562 82% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 48.0822266439 60.3974514979 80% => OK
Chars per sentence: 109.117647059 118.986275619 92% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.5588235294 23.4991977007 83% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.64705882353 5.21951772744 89% => OK
Paragraphs: 7.0 4.97078651685 141% => Less paragraphs wanted.
Language errors: 3.0 7.80617977528 38% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 27.0 10.2758426966 263% => Less positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 6.0 5.13820224719 117% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 1.0 4.83258426966 21% => More facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.257875937547 0.243740707755 106% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0608303844696 0.0831039109588 73% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0609534756677 0.0758088955206 80% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.127747413806 0.150359130593 85% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0352656882435 0.0667264976115 53% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 14.6 14.1392134831 103% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 35.27 48.8420337079 72% => OK
smog_index: 11.2 7.92365168539 141% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 13.1 12.1743820225 108% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 15.08 12.1639044944 124% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 9.45 8.38706741573 113% => OK
difficult_words: 205.0 100.480337079 204% => Less difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 8.0 11.8971910112 67% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 11.2143820225 86% => OK
text_standard: 15.0 11.7820224719 127% => OK
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Write the essay in 30 minutes.
Maximum six paragraphs wanted.
Rates: 66.67 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 4.0 Out of 6
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.