It’s all a bit relative and perhaps even…. So, people often hear “evolution” and they assume that an “evolved” human might be faster and stronger or have super powers or super intelligence etc- but evolution is an adaptation. An evolved human might be like an ant or a squirrel of those traits are what is most likely to lead to survival and reproductive success. So what do we mean by “set back”? It isn’t that humanity stood still. People loved their lives, culture and language subtly changed and new ideas and inventions came about.
When we say “set back” that assumes there is some singular goal or direction for humanity. It’s relative. If in 500 years the dominant view is that monarchy or feudalism are superior and current philosophies of government are out of style, they might say that the relative egalitarian sentiment that swept Europe and much of the globe into the 21st century was a “set back,”
The argument exists and can’t be universally disproven that modern society and technological advancement aren’t actually an objective improvement over living a more simple life without the tools and such of society.
I’m not making that argument and I am not inclined to agree, but I can’t really dismiss it objectively and completely without subjective data.
To put it simply, if you don’t know where you are going or trying to go, how can you get lost? How can any direction be a detour when there isn’t a destination and there is merely where you are?
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(TITLE FROM REDDIT r/HistoryMemes)
The argument exists and can’t be universally disproven that modern society and technological advancement aren’t actually an objective improvement over living a more simple life without the tools and such of society.
I’m not making that argument and I am not inclined to agree, but I can’t really dismiss it objectively and completely without subjective data.