‘Progress’ in the traditional sense under these circumstances? Not likely. Today it seems more advisable to do our best to make history by imagining a position where humanity can start afresh...
Imagination is central to reason. The arts were the first casualty of the non-intellectual progressive movement, and it has been decades since anyone not promoting the latest ideological fashion has emerged on the best-seller fiction list. Neither a Vonnegut, a Nabokov, nor even a Twain would make it to print these days. While we (our growing movement) may have plenty of non-fiction to read, there is no imaginative literature available because there is no publishing infrastructure to support it. This is a critical missed opportunity: people who have been brainwashed are not likely to be persuaded by facts; but they may be persuaded when they are immersed in the perspective of a fictional character. Propagandists know well that narrative is their most powerful tool, and they've been using it expertly since the funding mechanisms for the arts and literary scholarship were captured.
Imagination is central to reason. The arts were the first casualty of the non-intellectual progressive movement, and it has been decades since anyone not promoting the latest ideological fashion has emerged on the best-seller fiction list. Neither a Vonnegut, a Nabokov, nor even a Twain would make it to print these days. While we (our growing movement) may have plenty of non-fiction to read, there is no imaginative literature available because there is no publishing infrastructure to support it. This is a critical missed opportunity: people who have been brainwashed are not likely to be persuaded by facts; but they may be persuaded when they are immersed in the perspective of a fictional character. Propagandists know well that narrative is their most powerful tool, and they've been using it expertly since the funding mechanisms for the arts and literary scholarship were captured.