It’s very difficult to arrange so that change in values is good. I expect you’d need oversight from a singleton for that to become possible (and in that case, “changing values” won’t adequately describe what happens, as there are probably better stuff to make than different-valued agents).
We do seem to have an example of systematic positive change in values—the history of the last thousand years. No doubt some will argue that our values only look “good” because they are closest to our current values—but I don’t think that is true. Another possible explanation is that material wealth lets us show off our more positive values more frequently. That’s a harder charge to defend against, but wealth-driven value changes are surely still value changes.
Systematic, positive changes in values tend to suggest a bright future. Go, cultural evolution!
We do seem to have an example of systematic positive change in values—the history of the last thousand years. No doubt some will argue that our values only look “good” because they are closest to our current values—but I don’t think that is true. Another possible explanation is that material wealth lets us show off our more positive values more frequently. That’s a harder charge to defend against, but wealth-driven value changes are surely still value changes.
Systematic, positive changes in values tend to suggest a bright future. Go, cultural evolution!