A lot of human history isn't. And we'll look back in 500 years and say the same thing again.

Perhaps I am just a pessimist, but I think it's far from a guarantee that we will only progress. I have no reason to believe that people today are any more civilized than 500 or 1000 years ago. Our much improved technology sure does look pretty though.

Indeed, just look at the ongoing wars today - exactly the same level of brutalism and violence like hundreds years ago, if not more due to the improvements in weapons technology.

Try reading Enlightenment Now. Hopefully it gives you a reason to be more optimistic.

Questionable book. While he might be right about overall direction it's a bit shallow and delivers skewed picture.

Oh but we are more civilized, at least we are less violent. I saw an article recently about the decline in violence over the last couple thousand years.

Our society today is far, far less violent than what I read about in history books.

You are probably right. Most people confuse docility with civility.

The ancients were significantly less nice. Crucifixion is a slow and nasty way to go. And of course there’s scaphism whixh is so appallingly nasty that revisionists deny it was ever practiced.