> Society as a whole is much better than it ever has been by almost any metric: literacy, life expectancy, human rights, equality, technological advancement, and so on.
Sure, if you ignore the imminent climate catastrophe, fueled by the same engines powering most of the other advancements.
And the increasing income inequality that is blowing major winds in the sails of fascism in Europe and the USA.
And the looming threat of nuclear war as tensions between NATO and Russia are at a 50 year high.
> Yet I also think it's a fallacy to think that means we should try to model our society on the past. Even if those "top men" were alive and guiding society, I doubt they would be able to solve our problems.
Sure, if you ignore the imminent climate catastrophe, fueled by the same engines powering most of the other advancements.
And the increasing income inequality that is blowing major winds in the sails of fascism in Europe and the USA.
And the looming threat of nuclear war as tensions between NATO and Russia are at a 50 year high.
> Yet I also think it's a fallacy to think that means we should try to model our society on the past. Even if those "top men" were alive and guiding society, I doubt they would be able to solve our problems.
This part I do agree with 100%.