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After Progress: Reason and Religion at the End of the Industrial Age
Progress is the God of the modern world. What happens once God is dead? Progress is not just a goal in the West-it's a religion. Most people believe in its inherent value as enthusiastically and uncritically as medieval peasants believed in heaven and hell. Our faith in progress drives the popular insistence that peak oil and climate change don't actually matter-after all, our lab-coated high priests will surely bring forth yet another miracle to save us all. Unfortunately, progress as we've known it has been entirely dependent on the breakneck exploitation of half a billion years of stored sunlight in the form of fossil fuels. As the age of this cheap, abundant energy draws to a close, progress is grinding to a halt. Unforgiving planetary limits are teaching us that our blind faith in endless exponential growth is a dangerous myth. After Progress addresses this looming paradigm shift, exploring the shape of history from a perspective on the far side of the coming crisis. Greer's startling examination of the role our belief systems play in the evolution of our collective consciousness is required reading for anyone concerned about making sense of the future at a time when we must seek new sources of meaning, value, and hope for the era ahead.
264 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2015
13 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
John Michael Greer
212 books512 followersJohn Michael Greer is an author of over thirty books and the blogger behind The Archdruid Report. He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His work addresses a range of subjects, including climate change, peak oil, the future of industrial society, and the occult. He also writes science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 13, 2015
I love any book that helps me step back from our human condition to see it in its full ridiculousness from a bit of a distance. This book does that in spades - so I loved it!
History, morphology, religion (both theist and civil), psychology, philosophy... this book has it all. Well written, and convincingly argued: we are leaving the civil religion of progress behind and, as we learn from previous civilizations, what will replace it is a new theist religion (most likely). What will it be? And how will it serve us as we enter the post-progress era?
Interesting questions to ponder.
History, morphology, religion (both theist and civil), psychology, philosophy... this book has it all. Well written, and convincingly argued: we are leaving the civil religion of progress behind and, as we learn from previous civilizations, what will replace it is a new theist religion (most likely). What will it be? And how will it serve us as we enter the post-progress era?
Interesting questions to ponder.
April 23, 2020
The religion of progress surrounds us, and once seen it cannot be unseen. As a clear example, currently during the pandemic, the computer projections from our scientific priesthood modified their death forecast from 2 million to 200,000 to now under 60,000. They recommend against masks, and then made them mandatory; fought against a travel ban, then banned immigration, all without batting an eye. It is not hard to see how the prestige of science begins to fray, as Greer predicted it would (p.141).
Even the response by our government is entirely predictable. After seeing negative oil prices, congress is likely going to pour billions in bailing out the fracking industry. The arguments made in favor, that of economic stability, of national security, will all be perfectly coherent in its internal logic. All of these actions, however, will inevitably serve to only hasten the decline. This is a key feature of the era of abstractions mentioned in the book, when perfect models are given precedent over observable reality. We seem to be beholden to this historical inertia.
Greer goes on to point out how the “conquest” of nature as a permanent phenomena can easily be disproved by looking at the reversal of the topsoil since the Green Revolution, and the resurgence of antibiotic resistance seen across the world (p.155). I had also bought into the idea that antibiotic resistance would be solved through more research, but the vast majority of antibiotics likely depend on molecules fortuitously found in nature, which have a finite (dwindling) stock.
I was surprised to learn that the emergence from mythic culture to an age of rational rebellion has been seen multiple times in various civilizations. The disdain for superstition and religion we see today is not unique to post-Enlightenment thinking, and was seen in the Classical West, the Confucian societies, in early Buddhism, etc. The most interesting part is what happens next: the “Second Religiosity.”
I read this book wanting to have a glimpse of what to expect in the future, and to this end Greer spends a long time discussing religion and spirituality. Following Nietzsche's death of God, the civil religion of progress has taken hold of the modern mind. It is a religion that promises transcendence (into outer space, virtual singularity, cellular immortality), which will inevitably fall flat because they are all based in the material world. Science cannot answer those vital questions that give us meaning, value, and purpose. I think what we long for is transcendence that can only be found in the spiritual realm, genuine connection with God and his creation. A spiritual transition awaits us next, an age of memory that blends rationalism with religion, one where we recognize that “myths are things that never happened, but always are” (p.98).
The great failure of Christianity, in my opinion, has been in allowing the destructive and exploitative interpretation of Genesis. I hope that Christians in the future will set a better example, emphasizing stewardship and creation-care. If we want to avoid mass cynicism and nihilism, there is going to be a great need for spiritual leadership as people fall out of the religion of progress. I think Greer did a great job focusing on this important point the most.
I recommend this book to those with some familiarity with the decline of industrial civilization. He doesn’t go into too much depth about the causes, like environmental degradation or resource depletion. But, this is a fantastic, broad look at our current dominant religion, and where we may be headed next. It may end up challenging some of your own values, as it did for me. 5/5
Even the response by our government is entirely predictable. After seeing negative oil prices, congress is likely going to pour billions in bailing out the fracking industry. The arguments made in favor, that of economic stability, of national security, will all be perfectly coherent in its internal logic. All of these actions, however, will inevitably serve to only hasten the decline. This is a key feature of the era of abstractions mentioned in the book, when perfect models are given precedent over observable reality. We seem to be beholden to this historical inertia.
Greer goes on to point out how the “conquest” of nature as a permanent phenomena can easily be disproved by looking at the reversal of the topsoil since the Green Revolution, and the resurgence of antibiotic resistance seen across the world (p.155). I had also bought into the idea that antibiotic resistance would be solved through more research, but the vast majority of antibiotics likely depend on molecules fortuitously found in nature, which have a finite (dwindling) stock.
I was surprised to learn that the emergence from mythic culture to an age of rational rebellion has been seen multiple times in various civilizations. The disdain for superstition and religion we see today is not unique to post-Enlightenment thinking, and was seen in the Classical West, the Confucian societies, in early Buddhism, etc. The most interesting part is what happens next: the “Second Religiosity.”
I read this book wanting to have a glimpse of what to expect in the future, and to this end Greer spends a long time discussing religion and spirituality. Following Nietzsche's death of God, the civil religion of progress has taken hold of the modern mind. It is a religion that promises transcendence (into outer space, virtual singularity, cellular immortality), which will inevitably fall flat because they are all based in the material world. Science cannot answer those vital questions that give us meaning, value, and purpose. I think what we long for is transcendence that can only be found in the spiritual realm, genuine connection with God and his creation. A spiritual transition awaits us next, an age of memory that blends rationalism with religion, one where we recognize that “myths are things that never happened, but always are” (p.98).
The great failure of Christianity, in my opinion, has been in allowing the destructive and exploitative interpretation of Genesis. I hope that Christians in the future will set a better example, emphasizing stewardship and creation-care. If we want to avoid mass cynicism and nihilism, there is going to be a great need for spiritual leadership as people fall out of the religion of progress. I think Greer did a great job focusing on this important point the most.
I recommend this book to those with some familiarity with the decline of industrial civilization. He doesn’t go into too much depth about the causes, like environmental degradation or resource depletion. But, this is a fantastic, broad look at our current dominant religion, and where we may be headed next. It may end up challenging some of your own values, as it did for me. 5/5
April 29, 2015
Takes a hard look at the secular religion of “Progress” and finds it instrumental in leading western civilization to imminent collapse. Most of us, and our leaders, have failed to face the inherent limitations of living on a rock in space that has finite resources. Western civilization and technology is supported by ever increasing use of irreplaceable energy. We have now reached the point of diminishing returns; it takes more and more energy to obtain energy. Though this should be obvious to anyone it is, however, largely denied. As a consequence we are not preserving the resources that are left. We will soon begin a downward spiral during which we will lose our institutions and way of life. Recovery, if there is one, will be in the far future. An excellent well researched book by a learned author. Beautifully written.
February 4, 2016
An exploration of modern and ancient attitudes towards progress and other ideas, and their implications. A fascinating analysis of the cycles of ages, similarities, differences.
I read it twice, straight off, to make sure I had grasped the points.
I read it twice, straight off, to make sure I had grasped the points.
July 22, 2022
Super excellent book, would give it 6 stars if I could. Lots of wonderful information about the religious structure of society, civil religions, rationalism, etc.
Interesting how he says civilizations seem to go in cycles of religiosity which when the civilization achieves much material prosperity turns into rationalism, which when it starts to decline turns into a second religiosity.
Definitely worth archiving.
Interesting how he says civilizations seem to go in cycles of religiosity which when the civilization achieves much material prosperity turns into rationalism, which when it starts to decline turns into a second religiosity.
Definitely worth archiving.
March 12, 2025
Always worth rereading, especially as the concepts are so unfamiliar to Western civilisation, and I certainly missed some salient points first time round. He manages to explain Spengler's thinking (I must reread that some time) and I can see where I fit in to that scheme. Always good to know that there are like-minded souls out there (especially from the growth wastes of Portishead).
August 22, 2020
Another fascinating and essential read from one of my favourite writers. At it´s core is a deconstruction of superstructure the modern era, which he describes in terms of a civil religion, based on the infrastructure of increasing abundance since the start of the industrial revolution. The fascinating thing about this superstructure is that it conditioned the mentality of all people within societies where industrial conditions dominated, regardless of political or religious ideology.
There are some interesting themes recurring throughout the texts that have made the most impression on me these days. Reading Nietzsche's affirmation of amor fati in The Gay Science, Greer´s essay in Dark Mountain Vol. 1, came to mind. Partly this was because I had just read Samuel Alexander´s Entropia, where Plato´s banished poet´s chanted amor fati in response to being exiled from utopia.
Appropriately enough, this book itself is framed by a discussion of Nietzsche's philosophy and the social context in which it arose. As usual, Greer offers some of the most penetrating, provocative and original insights into the minds of modern men to be found anywhere. Insights in mass psychology (the work of Freud and Jung, but strangely not Wilhelm Reich) are nested in philosophical explorations of the shape of time and the comparative study of civilizations (the work of Toynbee and Spengler), the history of science, the meaning of evolution, and much more. As always, the discourse is wide-ranging across space and time, making all sorts of connections that, when you come to think about it, open up whole new dimensions of coherence to an understanding of this complex tragicomic squiggle we call the human being.
There are some interesting themes recurring throughout the texts that have made the most impression on me these days. Reading Nietzsche's affirmation of amor fati in The Gay Science, Greer´s essay in Dark Mountain Vol. 1, came to mind. Partly this was because I had just read Samuel Alexander´s Entropia, where Plato´s banished poet´s chanted amor fati in response to being exiled from utopia.
Appropriately enough, this book itself is framed by a discussion of Nietzsche's philosophy and the social context in which it arose. As usual, Greer offers some of the most penetrating, provocative and original insights into the minds of modern men to be found anywhere. Insights in mass psychology (the work of Freud and Jung, but strangely not Wilhelm Reich) are nested in philosophical explorations of the shape of time and the comparative study of civilizations (the work of Toynbee and Spengler), the history of science, the meaning of evolution, and much more. As always, the discourse is wide-ranging across space and time, making all sorts of connections that, when you come to think about it, open up whole new dimensions of coherence to an understanding of this complex tragicomic squiggle we call the human being.
May 7, 2016
Great book. The writing is a little pendulous, as another reviewer put it, but it's just how JMG writes, and if you've read his blog, you'll know what I mean.
Most of the book is spent on arguing for Oswald Spengler for a new generation, which I find admirable, but the real meat of the text is where he applies Spengler's observations to the state of Western Civilization, what it means for us here and now, and what he thinks we might do about it.
His conclusions about religion are refreshing and no-nonsense, though I may be biased, as a member of one of the minority religions he references. His later chapter dedicated to analyzing the success and failures of communes through history was probably my favorite.
Four stars for more than half the book being a lengthier rehash of posts from his blog, and the sometimes distracting number of idioms he employs... and the awkward times that he repeats the same ones a little too often. After the third or fourth time I had to read "history's compost heap" or "inkblot patterns of the cosmos" it was difficult to keep my eyes from rolling a little.
All in all, though, a highly recommended read for those beginning to question the state of the whole darned world.
Most of the book is spent on arguing for Oswald Spengler for a new generation, which I find admirable, but the real meat of the text is where he applies Spengler's observations to the state of Western Civilization, what it means for us here and now, and what he thinks we might do about it.
His conclusions about religion are refreshing and no-nonsense, though I may be biased, as a member of one of the minority religions he references. His later chapter dedicated to analyzing the success and failures of communes through history was probably my favorite.
Four stars for more than half the book being a lengthier rehash of posts from his blog, and the sometimes distracting number of idioms he employs... and the awkward times that he repeats the same ones a little too often. After the third or fourth time I had to read "history's compost heap" or "inkblot patterns of the cosmos" it was difficult to keep my eyes from rolling a little.
All in all, though, a highly recommended read for those beginning to question the state of the whole darned world.
July 6, 2015
I did not find this to be an easy book to read. The scope of the author's knowledge and historical detail make my flailing attempts at understanding this stuff pretty pitiful. Sure opened my eyes to awesome and new considerations, and that is what a good book is for. His sentence structure is sometimes unnecessarily pendulous and pedantic; a somewhat simpler approach could have conveyed the same info with a little less work by the reader. OK, I guess that's dumbing it down to my level. Enjoyed the amazing scope of this author's agenda...will read more of his work.
June 30, 2015
JMG gives big picture comfort to the seekers
It is hard to do anything until you have a good idea of which way to go. They say when lost in a forest to stay put. That may be good advice but I have never been lost in a forest and I don't think I would follow it. Greer says we're lost and he points us in a good direction. Whether we make it out of the woods of course depends on us, not his helpful advice.
It is hard to do anything until you have a good idea of which way to go. They say when lost in a forest to stay put. That may be good advice but I have never been lost in a forest and I don't think I would follow it. Greer says we're lost and he points us in a good direction. Whether we make it out of the woods of course depends on us, not his helpful advice.
August 30, 2018
This book is worth reading more than once. The way John Michael Greer is writing guarantees more and more "Aha!" moments on every consecutive pass through. The breadth of the material that is covered here is astonishing and it can be at times bewildering. Most of the book is built by reworking articles published on John Michael's (now closed) blog - The Archdruid Report and I must admit that reading it one article at a time over several years made the book significantly more digestible for me.
It is one of the few non-fiction books that can be spoiled by disclosing the lines of reasoning it presents. Avoiding that, it can be said that "After Progress" does a good job exposing the quackery of the idea of linear "progress" that is bringing us from the barbaric past and into the bright future among the stars. The book traces the idea of "progress" from its roots and to the likely outcomes, showing on the way just how unoriginal and predictable its trajectory is.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the philosophical underpinnings of the increasing number of dysfunctions in the ways our institutions are run. It does a good job of uncovering the unquestionable assumptions and unconscious biases that help us close our eyes and ears when we see and hear anything about this faltering. "After Progress" may feel somewhat depressing when read on its own as it portrays us as a horde of lemmings running fast towards a cliff. It helps to follow this book up with two more - "Retro Future" and "Retrotopia" by the same author - where John Michael gives some ideas on how to soften the landing and to enjoy the process as it unfolds.
It is one of the few non-fiction books that can be spoiled by disclosing the lines of reasoning it presents. Avoiding that, it can be said that "After Progress" does a good job exposing the quackery of the idea of linear "progress" that is bringing us from the barbaric past and into the bright future among the stars. The book traces the idea of "progress" from its roots and to the likely outcomes, showing on the way just how unoriginal and predictable its trajectory is.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the philosophical underpinnings of the increasing number of dysfunctions in the ways our institutions are run. It does a good job of uncovering the unquestionable assumptions and unconscious biases that help us close our eyes and ears when we see and hear anything about this faltering. "After Progress" may feel somewhat depressing when read on its own as it portrays us as a horde of lemmings running fast towards a cliff. It helps to follow this book up with two more - "Retro Future" and "Retrotopia" by the same author - where John Michael gives some ideas on how to soften the landing and to enjoy the process as it unfolds.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews