Introducing Notions of Progress: A New Podcast

What if many of our assumptions about technological progress rest on ideas formulated centuries ago—ideas we've inherited without examination? What if much of the current anxiety and uncertainty regarding our collective futures in societies across the globe stem from competing visions of progress?

Welcome to Notions of Progress, a podcast that explores how civilizations from antiquity to the present came to believe in progress as a foundational principle—and what that belief means for us today.

A Lingering Question 

Given an era of dramatic technological change - AI breakthroughs, advances in automation, and a growing perception of existential risk, a  critical question often gets overlooked: What do we actually mean when we say these changes represent "progress"?

This isn't a question of semantics. Embedded in every policy debate, investment decision, and argument about whether to accelerate or slow technological development, lies a specific theory regarding what progress is, how it occurs, and where it leads. Many are unaware that an underlying operating theory often guides the actions that follow these debates. 

This podcast seeks to surface these theories visible by mapping their origins and evolution across more than two thousand years of intellectual history.

A Journey Through Ideas

Starting with ancient Greek and Roman thought, moving through medieval Christianity, emerging into the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and arriving at our current moment, we'll explore how different eras answered conceptualized progress if at all. 

The answers have varied dramatically. While traditions saw history as cyclical—civilizations rising and falling in endless repetition, others viewed moral improvement as humanity's true calling, with material advancement secondary or even suspect. Still others embraced technological development as an unambiguous good, an engine of human liberation that was both forward facing and inexorable.

Why History Matters for Technological Progress

The objective for this podcast is to gain a better understanding of these genealogies throughout history. While there is no expectation of resolving the debates,it may help to inform their content and reveal what's actually at stake.

What Makes This Podcast Different

I'm approaching this project as both an historical researcher and a cartographer. My objective is not to promote a particular view of progress nor to resurrect a romantic vision of a pre-technological past. Instead, my interest is in mapping an intellectual terrain—charting major landmarks, identifying competing schools of thought, and demonstrating how ideas transform as they move through time.

Each episode will feature conversations with scholars who've examined these questions: historians of science and technology, intellectual historians, philosophers, and researchers across multiple disciplines. Together, we'll build a comprehensive picture of where our current assumptions originated and how they function today. The tone is rigorous but accessible. One doesn't need an academic background to follow along, though academics will find plenty to engage with. 

The Practical Stakes

Why does any of this matter right now? Because the rapid pace of change has brought these questions to the forefront. Many feel overwhelmed by technological transformation and are asking questions whether this is actually progress, are their lives improving? Who benefits? and  Where are we heading?

The Path Forward

Episodes release bi-weekly initially, moving to weekly as the show develops. I'm working roughly chronologically while remaining flexible enough to pursue compelling conversations as they arise.

Beyond the episodes themselves, the website (notionsofprogress.com) provides detailed show notes, references for further reading, and resources for deeper exploration. You can find video versions on YouTube and audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms.

If you want to engage directly—suggest guests, propose topics, or ask questions—reach out at marshall@notionsofprogress.com or on Twitter @notionsprogress.

An Invitation

This project emerges from a conviction that historical thinking informed by curiosity offers something essential for navigating our technological present. Not answers exactly, but better questions. Not certainty, but clarity about what remains uncertain.

Welcome to Notions of Progress, Let's begin.

Marshall Madow holds an MA in History from Cambridge and an MSc from University of Oxford / Said Business School. He is currently an independent researcher preparing PhD applications in intellectual history for Fall 2027.