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Stompy, Stompy, Stompy. Your biggest mistake seems to be a confusion between knowledge and intelligence. Yes, in many ways we have more knowledge than the ancients -- for example, they didn't know about the human female egg. But even here, I suspect you underestimate them. The ancient Greeks knew the world was round, they knew that semen was necessary for reproduction, and they knew roughly the circumference of the earth. The Greeks didn't think reproduction was the act of a god. As far as their intelligence, I don't see any reason to think that Aristotle or Euclid was less intelligent than Hawking. You say that we're more advanced because people can have abortions and be homosexual. Forgive me if I say that, even if this were true, it's at the very least arguable that this would be progress. And in any case, people have been homosexual (or, at least, engaged in homosexual activity) and had abortions for thousands upon thousands of years. You say "Ask most people back then what a star is..." but how many people, if you asked them today, would know what a star is? And that's the other side of your problem. You grossly overestimate the intelligence and knowledge of people today. Most of the people on this board are quite bright and knowledgeable compared to the average person, and presumably, most of the people most of us see on a daily basis are similarly above average. Just remember that there are people out there who need help operating elevators.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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