Often you might hear from people around you the words: “we are living in the best of times” or “we are so much better than those savage people from the Medieval period’. These convictions are deeply engrained in our milieu and we don’t seem to see through the fog. The technological boom provides us with multiple gadgets and tools for pseudo communication but is this really evidence for improvement in our way of life?
Wars in the bigger picture
Some modern intellectuals claim that history is always moving in linear progression: less crime, better healthcare, more and more new opportunities. These claims do not get contested when promoted by big states, corporations and sometimes in a subtler way through education and social media. When we take a look at the 20th century one crucial and cruel aspect is the barbaric wars that shook the world. One has to ponder on the fact that at the beginning of the century people were optimistic and believed the bright future lies ahead. Enlightenment paved the way for reason and individualism only to be replaced with Eugenics and new weapons for mass destruction.
Science false promises
Science (or better scientism) assures us that the technological Eden is just around the corner, at its core transhumanism is just the updated, repackaged secular version of the old myths. In order to have people interested in science in the first place there are factors that should be present – culture, proper education that instigates curiosity, not obedience. Contrary to the popular believe, we would argue that science may be declining. It may not be by chance that the scientists who gave birth to the modern astronomy, chemistry, physics, etc. were people of faith.
Politics and institutions
During the Greek period Democracy is sometimes replaced by tyrannical government. The usurpers of power do not stop at a certain point just because the governed are democratically leaning (as general as this term may be). Who can guarantee us that a clique from any contemporary state will not try to conquer all the institutions and media to serve its own goals. If we are to believe in the myth of constant progression how does that mix with the French revolution? The havoc and massacres it caused do not prove the point. In fact, it begs the question – aren’t we running in circles, with ups and downs?
Materialism and the god of numbers
As many philosophers speculate about what constitutes the good and virtuous live we cannot dismiss easily the fact that quantity doesn’t mean quality. Let’s focus on one aspect of the supposed constant evolution in human affairs – consumption. That is how elites view the average man – somebody without any higher goals and aspirations, a passive observer of useless talk shows or ten seconds videos. Yes, it can be calculated what percentage of the goods and services are purchased but no mainstream media will ask – is the human nature ONLY about that?
Recently, Graham Hancock was viciously attacked for his views on a lost civilization. The academia behaved as if they are the guardians of the only truth. Could it be that also we are never to move out of the bubble that we are the pinnacle of human evolution?
