From the earliest stages of modernity, critics have argued that the new world emerging around them was not simply imperfect but fundamentally misguided. Their complaints have been remarkably consistent: Modernity is said to destroy genuine community, replace virtue with materialism, sever humanity's connection to nature, and undermine the relationships and traditions that give life meaning. What makes these criticisms especially interesting is that they recur across societies with very different histories and cultures. In the first essay of a new series, Dr. Steven Davies explores this enduring revolt against the modern world. humanprogress.org/critiques-…