“Progress” Is Making Things Worse (w/ Sam Miller McDonald)

🌹 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: Sam Miller McDonald is a writer and longtime Current Affairs contributor. He joins Nathan Robinson to discuss his new book Progress: How One Idea Built Civilization—and Now Threatens to Destroy It , a sweeping critique of the belief that history is a story of constant improvement. 🌀 Buy Sam's book: 🌀 Read Sam's articles: 0:00-8:30 critiquing the Pinker-style narrative of progress 8:30-19:43 “progress” as destruction: industrialization and ecological collapse 19:43-23:34 what actually constitutes wellbeing 23:34-30:15 why the idea of “progress” is misleading 30:15-36:42 how “progress” justifies violence (Nazism, colonialism) 36:42-41:37 imagining values beyond “progress” 🦩

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“Progress” Is Making Things Worse (w/ Sam Miller McDonald) is an episode from Current Affairs by Current Affairs.

This episode is 00:41:37 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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