My use of the word “better” implies the existence of universal values. All of these flow from the recognition of the power of human knowledge and the responsibility which directly attaches to that power. And the central value is the process of critical inquiry itself.

Progress and knowledge are inherently linked through critical inquiry: we can only make progress if we are capable of identifying some ideas as better than others. Critical inquiry is by no means linear—new ideas are not always better than old ones. Sometimes we go off in the wrong direction. Still, given enough time, a sorting takes place. For... See more