The Beginning and End of 'Progress'
On the provenance of a much abused term
I thought I’d try something different in the next couple posts. I’m finishing up my new book, which I’ve mentioned here a number of times, tentatively titled On Power. I figured it might be fun to think through some of the final sections in real time, and to get your feedback on some of the arguments and ideas I’m experimenting with. Feel free to leave a comment below (for subscribers). And please do consider subscribing here, so I can keep this going. More to come in future posts.
Like secularism or liberalism, or even the idea of religion as a distinct, separable feature of life, progress is yet another modern invention. Unlike democracy, it did not exist in antiquity in any sense that would be intelligible to us today.
One reason is for progress’ recent provenance is that its contention that the future is better than the past runs up against the religious worldview of the Abrahamic traditions, which had up until a few centuries ago dominated intellectual and philosophical thought.
In Christianity and Islam, in particular, the end times figure prominently. If the world will descend into existential strife, spurred on by an Antichrist who will attempt to first deceive and then wage war on God’s children, then progress is an illusion, a distraction from the true perfection of the life to come. What about before the end, though?
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