It seems to be the common zeitgeist that humanity’s progress has been linear, and that the past, in nearly all objective measurements, was worse than the present. I believe this to be generally true, yet to stop here at this absolute distorts the reality of the complex nature of our history. Recall that it was the Old Kingdom of Egypt that built the Great Pyramids in 2500 BC, wonders that reached higher than any structure until the Eiffel Tower in 1889. The concept of linear progress is a useful doctrine for concentrating innovation in chosen areas, but to believe this is the full truth is willful ignorance of our rather crooked advancement. It seems possible to me that there might be important elements lost in this heads-down race towards the future.
The Colossus of San Francisco
The Colossus of San Francisco
The Colossus of San Francisco
It seems to be the common zeitgeist that humanity’s progress has been linear, and that the past, in nearly all objective measurements, was worse than the present. I believe this to be generally true, yet to stop here at this absolute distorts the reality of the complex nature of our history. Recall that it was the Old Kingdom of Egypt that built the Great Pyramids in 2500 BC, wonders that reached higher than any structure until the Eiffel Tower in 1889. The concept of linear progress is a useful doctrine for concentrating innovation in chosen areas, but to believe this is the full truth is willful ignorance of our rather crooked advancement. It seems possible to me that there might be important elements lost in this heads-down race towards the future.