It’s worse than that, (1) is just the big problem for philosophy hiding behind circular definitions and multiple undefined words to obscure the big issue. We have “progress” and “values” and “good” used as if they are independent when, even a cursory examination, shows that they are not and they are, in fact, “defined” using circular reasoning—We have made progress because our values are better (more good) now than they were in the past. How do we know that our values are better now than in the past? Because we have made progress.
We believe that we are better now than we were in the past because, for example, we do not discriminate against homsexuals. But the people in the past would argue that they were better than us for exactly the same reason.
I believe that the root cause of the illusion of moral progress is no more, and no less, than the the obvious observation that winners always get to write the history and always paint themselves in the best light. We are the winners. We defeated the “us” of the past and now “we” get to say that we are morally superior because the people of the past are not here to argue with us and, even if they were, we would destroy them with our superior technology.
It’s worse than that, (1) is just the big problem for philosophy hiding behind circular definitions and multiple undefined words to obscure the big issue. We have “progress” and “values” and “good” used as if they are independent when, even a cursory examination, shows that they are not and they are, in fact, “defined” using circular reasoning—We have made progress because our values are better (more good) now than they were in the past. How do we know that our values are better now than in the past? Because we have made progress. We believe that we are better now than we were in the past because, for example, we do not discriminate against homsexuals. But the people in the past would argue that they were better than us for exactly the same reason. I believe that the root cause of the illusion of moral progress is no more, and no less, than the the obvious observation that winners always get to write the history and always paint themselves in the best light. We are the winners. We defeated the “us” of the past and now “we” get to say that we are morally superior because the people of the past are not here to argue with us and, even if they were, we would destroy them with our superior technology.