Progress: Our Savior

Science, empire and capitalism are linked according to Harari. The link between science, empire and capitalism has only recently happened because before the Enlightenment, science was not needed to find life’s answers because those answers could have been found with the local clergy. All three start to link together after the Enlightenment when more and more people attempted to find answers to regular everyday events through science. After the Enlightenment, the link between science, empire and capitalism did not become evident until the Industrial Revolution when many inventions in terms of transportation and energy started to emerge. Science, empire and capitalism are linked because they propel one another. Just like when nuclear physics became popular, the atomic bomb was developed and used to help the United States end World War II. Nuclear technology is now used for power from nuclear power plants. Technology like computers also is used by military and scientists, and computers are continually sold for profit today. Science, empire and capitalism help keep a steady flow for one another’s production and benefit. (Harari, 258-264).

Science, empire and capitalism are propelled by “progress”. I agree with Harari that progress plays a huge role in linking science, empire and capitalism because before the Enlightenment, people thought that “progress” was not able to be achieved. People before the Enlightenment thought the so-called “Golden Age” was behind them and that the world was in a steady decline. Progress propels science, empire and capitalism because people in the field of science now strive to prove theories which can measure success. Progress can help empires because those empires know that the bigger the empire, technically the better because there are more opportunities. Progress can propel capitalism by gaining more money or monetary worth that anytime previous. (Harari, 264-266).