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Profs and Pints presents: “Why It’s Better Than You Think,” with Barton Edgerton, research analyst, former writer for Global Risk Insights, former instructor at Tufts University and the London School of Economics, and visiting fellow at Harvard University.
You probably don’t know how good people on earth have it. If that’s the case, you aren’t alone.
Sure, recent events in the West–many political in nature–have given us reason to fear that here democracy is on the decline, authoritarianism is on the rise, and a long peace buttressed by robust international institutions stands on the verge of collapse. All valid concerns.
But look at the big picture over the long term, and you’ll find reason to conclude that the world’s population is in a golden age. Globally, statistics show, we’ve made huge progress eradicating disease, reducing poverty and violence, discouraging suicides, and improving literacy. The world’s progress on such fronts is impressive measured over a year, staggering measured over a century, and nearly unbelievable if measured over millennia.
Forget “half empty” or “half full.” Today we’re left trying to sort out whether the glass is brimming or about to shatter on the floor. Our conflicting perceptions raise important questions, such as: What do we mean when we speak of “progress”? Is progress inevitable, or can it be reversed? Rather than being new questions, these are some of the oldest ones around. By looking to our ancient past, and to a few of our contemporaries, we can begin to come up with answers that provide important context, and perhaps end up a bit more optimistic about humanity.
Join researcher and political theorist Barton Edgerton for a talk that will help you see the big picture. (Advance tickets: $12. Doors $15, save $2 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Please arrive in plenty of time to place any order and be seated and settled in.)
