I think I understand what you're saying...
yes, when we look at the progress of any aspect of human culture or endeavour, we can see the signs of 'two steps forward, one step back' - we can argue that such was the case during the 20th century, and even now...; indeed, there were extended periods (such as the European Dark Ages) when many (if not most) aspects of human endeavour was more like 'two steps back, one step sideways'... <_<

And it's equally true that not all cultures or civilisations progressed at the same time, or at the same rate, or even to the same extent; far more often it has been that one civilisation or culture has 'peaked' and even begun to decline, whilst others were just beginning to flourish and expand their influence...

But, as I sit here under my electric light (one man in the 19th century started that...now they are all over the world, even in some of the poorest and remotest communities), and gaze at my 19" colour computer screen (remembering that my first computer screen was a 10" black background with green text and no graphics), and get news from around the world (sometimes as it is actually happening), I cannot help but think that we have come a long way from our distant ancestors who were figuring out what to do with fire, and how to bang rocks together.:blink:

And, I still know of no time in all of human history when parents did not want a better life for their children, or when people did not wonder where we came from or why we are here, and did not imagine some form of answer....that's not to say there were not such periods - I just don't know of any...and that's not to say that any of the answers were right or wrong...just that they were looked for... :unsure:

__________________