Human, All Too Human, Part 24 summary
Part 24 of 152 · 2 min to read the part
In 24, the speaker argues that the old civilization cannot regain its strength, but people can consciously create better conditions for a new civilization. This makes progress possible rather than inevitable, while visions that repeat the aims of past national civilizations offer no genuinely new direction.
What happens
- The speaker accepts an old civilization's master's refusal to debate believers in progress, because that civilization cannot recover its strength.
- People can deliberately shape a new civilization through improved nourishment, education, economic management, and selection according to abilities.
- Conscious civilization displaces the old, largely unthinking way of life and establishes that progress is possible.
- The speaker rejects both guaranteed progress and visions of advancement that merely borrow their goals from the past.
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In this part
What to notice
The claim separates creating a new civilization from restoring an old one. It limits what the speaker means by possible progress.
Quick check
What distinction does the speaker make about progress?
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