Progress

The Techno-optimist Manifesto does not fully recognize the necessity of freedom.

Elon Musk’s mistakes should be viewed in the context of his achievements. Musk has contributed to human flourishing not only by developing Tesla and SpaceX and co-founding Open AI. By taking over Twitter and shaking it up, he has exposed the government’s violations of free speech.

Specific resources are limited. There’s only so much oil, land and water. But resources, in general, are unlimited — or rather, limited only by human ingenuity.

We are incessantly told about disasters, whether the latest heat wave, flood, wildfire or storm. Yet, the data overwhelmingly show that over the last century, people have become much safer from all these weather events.

I see three premises at the core of the progress movement: progress, humanism, and agency.