…urrent world is a cesspool of depravity and corruption the likes of which we’ve never seen before). There’s nothing inexorable about such progress, though, especially given that it has been the result of cultural evolution, not the Darwinian type, so we could easily revert to the beastly ways of old, where torture, slavery, witch burning, the disenfranchisement of women, sexual repression, and religious tyranny were the norm. Denying such progress is dangerous, because it may make us question and undermine the very values and institutions that have made it possible, such as the rule of law, freedom of speech and religion (and from religion), inalienable human rights, reason and science, the legal use of physical force (except for self-defense) granted to the state alone — the broad ideals from the Age of Reason.
