Neither humanity nor Armenia in the last three decades confirms this notion
The 20th-century Polish philosopher, theologian, and Dominican Order member Józef Maria Bocheński wrote an interesting book titled “One Hundred Superstitions. A Short Philosophical Dictionary of Superstitions”, 1987. The book presents in alphabetical order those phenomena which, according to Bocheński, are traditionally misinterpreted: “Progress” is one such phenomenon. Belief in the constant progress of humanity, as if humanity is continually advancing to a perfect state, is one of the most harmful ideologies inherited from the 19th century,”
It is clear why this belief emerged during those times. In the 19th century, natural science was developing rapidly, and Darwin put forward his theory of evolution. But Bocheński asks whether the development of science and technology contributes to progress in the spiritual, legal, political, and moral spheres.
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The author gives several examples. Women in Egypt in the 16th-14th centuries BC had more rights than in modern (20th century) Switzerland, let alone in Islamic countries. The invention of concrete has hardly contributed to the creation of more valuable architectural structures. No one can claim that today, through the use of modern techniques, artists reach greater heights than Michelangelo.
Bochenski draws a conclusion: in general, the claim about the gradual progress of humanity is 1) completely unfounded, and 2) contradicts the facts.
However, the belief that humanity is experiencing constant and unstoppable progress has persisted even in the 21st century. After 1914, when, against all “progressive” optimism, the First World War broke out, it was time to say goodbye to those illusions.
I remembered Thomas Mann’s novel “The Magic Mountain”, published in 1924, which tells about the unfounded optimism of pre-war Europe, as it later became clear. One of the heroes of that novel, Settembrini, believes in the “healing” properties of reason, liberalism, and market relations. By the way, he enthusiastically talks about the impending overthrow of the backward monarchy in Turkey and the rise of progressive forces. This attitude seems typical, especially when compared to the events following the revolution of the Young Turks.
But, let me repeat, even now, after two world wars and the presence of at least some features of a third, there are people who claim we are heading towards a bright future and a heavenly paradise. American psychologist Steven Pinker is one such thinker. He is sure that after two important declarations—the 1776 US Declaration of Independence and the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted in France—everything is generally going in the “right direction.”. As they say, I wish I shared his optimism.
The development of my country, the Third Republic of Armenia, also does not provide grounds for optimism. Have we progressed or regressed in 33 years? Don’t be too quick to give an unequivocal answer. For example, as everywhere, the technical progress of communication is obvious. It only takes a few moments to share your valuable or not-so-valuable thoughts with the public. This has certainly contributed to a certain democratization of public life, making it increasingly difficult for states to limit freedom of speech. On the other hand, it opens the door wide for manipulation.
Forty years ago, in this season, people spread cloth on the riverbank and made barbecue on stones. Now all canyons are “rest zones” with minimal maintenance. On one hand, this makes entertainment more “civilized”; on the other, the closely packed booths with their own music are not particularly conducive to relaxation. So, where is the progress and where is the regression?
If we turn to purely socio-political development, then I notice more regression. Let’s consider the parliament. Can you imagine that, say, Babken Ararktsyan (or Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Vazgen Manukyan, Rafael Ghazaryan) would grab a person’s hands and spit in his face? What is the root of the problem? I think the reason is that the parliament of 1990 was elected by a society of one quality, and in 2021, by a different quality, and these qualities are markedly different from each other in favor of the first. Why in 2001 did killing a person in the toilet for “wrong greeting” cause righteous indignation, but now the fatal accident of a pregnant woman by the same bodyguard (I understand the difference in cases) does not? Again, because of society’s regression, degeneration, indifference, and cynicism.
Naturally, these phenomena are observed not only in Armenia. As Deep Purple sings on their latest album, “The world’s on fire, and I can’t get my ass out of bed.”
Aram Abrahamyan
