Caledonian2 comments on Guardians of the Gene Pool - Less Wrong

25 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 16 December 2007 08:08PM

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Comment author: Caledonian2 17 December 2007 01:47:18PM 5 points [-]

'Progress' is the accumulation of changes towards a pre-defined goal.

Just a few lifespans ago, 'progress' consisted of spreading settlers into sparsely-populated land, killing or driving away the aborigines, draining the wetlands, slaughtering the predators, and converting the ecology into farmland. It was using antibiotics widely and prophylactically, replacing ancient crop strains with monocultures, and designing our communities around the automobile.

'Progress' is the hobgoblin trotted out by everyone who thinks they know what the future should be. Anyone foolish enough to name their political goals 'progressive' ought to be excluded from the political process.