Are Our Modern Problems Just Ancient Battles in New Guises?
It’s easy to feel like the challenges we face today are utterly unique, products of our unprecedented technological advancements and rapidly shifting social landscapes. Yet, a closer look at history reveals a striking parallel between some of our most contemporary struggles and the ancient conflicts that have “plagued people for centuries.” Consider the ancient Gnostics , who believed the physical world was a wicked creation and salvation lay in escaping the material "prison" of the body to achieve a secret, higher knowledge. This echoes surprisingly with modern sentiments that prioritize self-definition and subjective truth, often seeking to transcend perceived biological or natural limitations through technology and personal will. The yearning for a " redeeming enlightenment " found through individual intellect or inclination is not new; it's a persistent human desire to make our own understanding supreme. In the second century, a towering figure named Irena...