Is Progress an Illusion?

4min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

John Gray argues that most atheists are living under the illusion of a religious fantasy without God, because they're in the culture. Do you want to argue that the quest is making progress? Technologically, absolutely. But for the inner human life that we use what we really care about, not so sure, defend it.

Suppose all of humanity was infected by a virus that left us all infertile--no one will come along after us. How would you react to such a world? Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago says she would be filled with despair. But why does this seem worse than our own inevitable deaths? Callard speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the meaning of life, and what exactly about the end of humanity is so demoralizing. The conversation concludes with a discussion of whether humanity is making progress.