Progress

Progress explores how the modern myth of progress has shaped human civilization, driving both remarkable achievements and devastating consequences. Geographer Samuel Miller McDonald traces how societies abandoned egalitarian values and sustainable practices in pursuit of endless growth, leading to environmental destruction, inequality, and the current ecological crisis. He argues that our obsession with progress has brought humanity to the brink and offers a radical rethinking of this foundational idea.
Why You Should Read?
Critical perspective:
Challenges the dominant narrative that progress always leads to improvement, revealing its dark history of conquest, slavery, and ecological devastation.
Historical depth:
Traces the evolution of progress as an ideology from its origins through to the present geological epoch, the Anthropocene.
For thoughtful readers:
Ideal for those interested in environmental studies, political philosophy, history, and anyone questioning the sustainability of modern civilization.
Urgent relevance:
Offers an alternative framework for thinking about humanity's future at a time when the consequences of unchecked progress threaten our survival.