I’ve had an inner debate for some time between two conclusions regarding the interaction of human nature with technology. The first is that humanity as a whole is approximately about as good and evil as we have ever been—or, in more mathematical terms, the quantity of evil and good within mankind has remained essentially constant throughout history (with perhaps some fluctuations up and down). The second is that humanity is degrading, or perhaps that it degrades and revives more in cycles, and we’re currently on a down cycle.

You will notice that both of these conflict with the Progressive belief that humanity is continually improving, and will continue to do so until the end of History. (The Marxist take would be more like the ups get higher and the downs get higher until both smooth into the same global perfection.)

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

This poem circulates a good deal nowadays, given that it seems to depict the times we live in with such accuracy. Perhaps our world is spinning out of joint, is like a watch that was wound at the beginning of time and through ages of entropy now ticks more and more slowly and crookedly towards its death. Or perhaps I don’t have ability to look at what I can know of human history and determine this. My moral calculator is not good enough to regulate me, after all; so how can it make sweeping determinations about the moral quality of all ages?

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