> How does industry make us smarter?

Smarter is the wrong word, more knowledgeable would be more appropriate. Pre-industrial was just a way of calling them ignorant by our standards. I wasn't actually referring to industry so much as their lack of modern science. I really should have said bronze age or iron age men.

> And why judge people by "modern standards?" Doesn't that just beg the question?

Because they're modern people. They have access to vastly more information about the world than someone 2000 years ago did and to ignore all that is stupid. To base your life around the writing of bronze age hippies who probably didn't realize they were tripping on ergot and not actually talking to God is sad.

Again, having loads of information doesn't necessarily imply it is relevant. We know loads more about chess now, does that make people smarter about life in general?