FYS: Progress - Why Now Is the Best Time to Be Alive (and How We Could Lose It)

3 Credits.

Why do extraordinary things happen in certain times and places—and almost nowhere else? This First-Year Seminar explores the origins of progress: why some societies break through while others stagnate, how cities like Silicon Valley or Renaissance Florence spark cascades of innovation, and whether progress requires liberty, science, or just the right incentives. We'll examine the Industrial Revolution that launched us out of millennia of poverty, debate whether great individuals or great institutions drive change, and ask hard questions about when progress moves too fast—or too slow (as it might be doing right now). Drawing on economics, history, philosophy, and sociology, you'll develop frameworks for understanding not just what happened in the past, but how transformative change actually works. Whether you're interested in technology, policy, social movements, entrepreneurship, or simply making something that matters during your lifetime, this course will help you see the modern world—and your place in shaping its future—differently. Experiential learning opportunities will include: visits to BMA and BMI; a visit to a factory in Baltimore; and guest speakers from the Institute for Progress in DC.