Nowadays there are people who believe that humanity has been technically and intellectually evolving
in a linear manner, others disagree that such an approach belittles the impact that the ancient cultures
had on the knowledge that we possess today all the while overestimating the progress achieved in the
last few centuries.
While it is undoubtedly true that present day world is far more advanced in all spheres of life than that
of the past, it would be a great mistake to label the ancient culture as one of ignorance. Most of the
theories and principles that modern day science is based on are rooted in the ancient times. For The
Ancient Greeks, for instance have always put an emphasis on education and knowledge, they were the
ones who have made numerous discoveries and introduced many of the fundamental principles that
modern day science is based on. Ancient civilizations have also been able to achieve things that we can
not to this day, even considering all the technical inventions that had been made, take the Pyramids of
Egypt as an example.
Nevertheless, one cannot argue that the level of progress that the society has made in the recent past is
truly impressive, especially considering that most of the discoveries have taken place over the past few
centuries. The knowledge that we possess today should not even be compared to what people have
possessed in the previous centuries. With such a rapid advancement in technology and such lifechanging inventions such as computers or the Internet, it has become far more easier to not only store
and distribute data but also for each person to be able to educate themselves from the comfort of their
own living room.
It is my opinion however, that even though the achievements of the ancient civilizations should be taken
into account and appreciated for what they have given us, in rough terms you could state that the
development over the course of the centuries has been one of increasing advancement of all spheres of
a person’s life. The exception being the somewhat backwards development that has taken place during
the Middle Ages. Overall, I believe that now people can benefit from the developments in the
educational and healthcare spheres as well as a general higher standard of living, which will eventually
lead to them having more time and resources on intellectual progress.