History of Civilization

Progress is the natural and inevitable state of humanity.  From single-celled life to mammals, from crude neanderthals to modern humans capable of philosophy, art and science; from primitive hunter-gatherers to settled communities of farmers; from towns to cities to nations; from despotic divine-right monarchs to modern liberal democracy.  Prejudice, ignorance and tribalism give way to tolerance, knowledge, and humanity.  Superstition is banished by science, dogma replaced by wisdom.  The arrow of progress toward perfection points ever forward, from the past, and into the future.