The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 inspired him to draft the Virginia Resolutions of that year, denouncing those statutes as violations of the First Amendment of the Constitution and affirming the right and duty of the states "to interpose for arresting the progress of the evil".
The Godfather suddenly reveals itself as not just a gangster chronicle, or even a series of magnificent set pieces, but the progress of Michael towards evil.
As our society has progressed, we have become more "understanding" of evil.
From here we progress to heavy teasing, torture, homicide, and the spectacle of evil raising its game.
Critics of mainstream human rights discourse take issue with narratives of progress, which suggest a false divide between historical periods of "evil" and post-conflict periods that have transitioned to democracy.
As Hubbard's followers progress in their Scientology teachings, they learn of the story of evil alien prince Xenu.
Without faith to elevate it, he writes, "reason" became an instrument of irrational rationalism that produced the most destructive schemes of human improvement - a "faith in progress" that grew into "progress in evil".
Not only that, they would also be instrumental in slowing down the progress of convergent technology, from which the supposed evil forces profit: a danger, which Eric Drexler deemed necessary to emphatically warn about.
