ABSTRACT
This chapter links the insights from the debate on the noetic effects of sin from the previous chapter with the notion of progress. It defines progress for the sake of argument as cumulative rational perception over time, leading to betterment. The two dimensions of Fall and progress are connected in an interdisciplinary assessment of the “fit” (realism) of the ideas, thus submitting Brunner's thought to an empirical test, looking at patterns of progress and identifying a certain asymmetry and imbalance. The chapter answers the question of why the human being has not progressed along with technology, or social progress. It traces the anthropological determinants of the argument in the history of thought. It then argues how the noetic effects of sin as a result of the Fall can be seen as a limiting factor in terms of human progress. The anecdotal evidence brought to bear from social sciences shows how Brunner's predictions on summation (accumulation) on the one hand, and non-summation (fragmentation) on the other hand, interact in the social realm. In disciplines in which an explicit or implicit understanding of human nature is necessary to conduct research, a certain fragmentation of progress is especially visible.
