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Progress in what direction? Is progress ever finished? It's an important question. If the answer is "no," then progress (whatever that means) must continue f
by at_a_remove 3y ago
Progress in what direction? Is progress ever finished?
It's an important question. If the answer is "no," then progress (whatever that means) must continue forever. This has quite a few disturbing implications.
If the answer is "yes," then arises the question of "toward what? How will we know when we are done?"
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 3y agoProgress toward a cynicism free society. Sounds wonderful of course.
- at_a_remove 3y agoNot sure if you're serious. However, I think such a society would be an utter paradise for the usual psychopaths. Sort of an The Invention of Lying concept. Cynicism is an adaptive response, it doesn't arise out of nowhere. Now, if you told me that you were going to fundamentally alter human nature such that nobody had any reason to be cynical, well ... but then other questions are raised.
- MattPalmer1086 3y agoWhy are the implications of answering no disturbing, and what are they? Only if you think we could reach some perfect and never changing state of being that all would agree on for all time would there eventually be no need for progress.
- at_a_remove 3y agoWell, pick your poison. What do people mean by "progress" now? Okay, now push that trendline out for infinity. Some people speak of technological progress, others cultural, or ethical. Or sexual mores. Select one and imagine that continuing on. For as long as society lasts.