26 years ago, Virginia Postrel published The Future and Its Enemies, which I still consider one of the most insightful books of our time. The book's

Progress and Its Enemies - by Lynne Kiesling

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2024-10-30 15:00:03

26 years ago, Virginia Postrel published The Future and Its Enemies, which I still consider one of the most insightful books of our time. The book's subtitle, The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress, has become even more relevant since 1998.

Virginia gave a presentation on the ideas in her book at the Progress Conference in Berkeley last weekend, which I attended and spoke at. Sponsored by the Roots of Progress Institute and other co-sponsors, this gathering was everything I had hoped for—interesting, thoughtful presentations and discussions with curious people interested in ideas and their consequences for humanity. The mix of formal presentations and spontaneous conversations was enlivening, aided by the ease and comfort of the different spaces at Lighthaven.

The broad theme of The Future and Its Enemies is that people can have two general dispositions about the future: stasis and dynamism: