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the progressive dogma

The story has been told many times. Just 200 years ago, people were living like they had for thousands of years. Diseases were incurable. Horseback was the fastest mode of transport. Life-expectancy was 30 years. There was no running water, and no sanitation. Homes were heated by an open wood-fire.

And look at us know...

Thus, the progressive dogma makes a lot of sense. For 200 years, we have been on a road to a better place. Why should that not continue?

Often, that progressive dogma holds water. For some diseases, we can reasonably expect a cure if we pour enough funds into research. It is also reasonable to suppose that our knowledge of the universe will expand over time. Or that computers and robots will become more intelligent.

But the progressive dogma implies something bizarre. It implies that if we If we do not like where we are, the solution must be to skip ahead on that road. We only need to skip far enough ahead .

Taken literally like that, the progressive dogma is just plain ridiculous. Modern art is a point in case. It is considered interesting and valuable only if it is new. It matters not how silly, vacuous or shallow it is. It matters only that no-one has done it before.

If you want to see just how mind-numbingly stupid modern art is, please visit MoMa or any other modern art museum in your area. The modern artist truly wears no clothes...