Hello,

I’m Mark Braund, and I’ve been thinking about the prospects for creating a better world most of my adult life. When I suggested this was perhaps a rather unhealthy obsession, my therapist said I should be kinder to myself.

This substack, as it says on the tin, is about two things: progress - how we build a better world, one that is more just, inclusive and sustainable; and survival - how we ensure that the civilizational gains of the last few centuries are not reversed.

It is a work of philosophy first and foremost. It draws on other disciplines: history, economics, political science, sociology, psychology even evolutionary biology, but as a work of philosophy, it is a speculation on the possibilities for collective human existence far into the future, with a built-in bias in favour of less suffering and more people living happier, fulfilled lives.

The pieces here come under three headings: Commentary, Culture and Context.

Under Commentary you will find pieces responding to current events, along with reviews and critiques of what other thinkers are saying on these issues.

Under Culture I aim to celebrate some of the things that make life worthwhile, not just as an antidote to the relentless work of finding a way through our current malaise, but also because it is through culture, creativity and the arts that we humans are able to transcend the daily grind of securing our material needs, and maximise our enjoyment of life.

And under Context you will find mainly long-form pieces looking in depth at how we might identify effective solutions and develop an alternative politics capable of setting humankind firmly on the path to progress. Although these essays can be read in any order, the numbers attached to them reflect an order of sorts, so if you’ve decided to binge read the whole lot, you might want to stick to that order.

About Me

I was born in 1964, which just about makes me a member of the ‘boomer’ generation. The advantages I have enjoyed as a result are not lost on me: free education from the age of four to twenty-two; a loving and secure family home; regular access to one of the most stimulating cities in the world, London, which I subsequently made my home; and a world in which, in Europe at least, politicians were determined to avoid a repeat of the events that led to two world wars and the Holocaust.

I’ve been very fortunate. But so many of my fellow Brits, and millions of people worldwide, have not been so lucky, and this has always struck me as not only unfair, but also unnecessary. Thus my lifelong interest in, to quote the title of my 2005 book, The Possibility of Progress.

I do not have an academic background. I’ve worked for 40 years in IT and as a consultant. That work has taken in the public, private and voluntary sectors including three years as an advisor in the Ministry of Health in Mozambique. I’ve also read a huge number of books, and have had my writing published in The Guardian and the Times Literary Supplement among other publications.

Why pledge?

Everything here is free to read while I (hopefully) build a following of committed readers. But a financial pledge of support in advance of me turning on paid subscriptions would do wonders for my motivation. And it won’t cost you a penny until the site does go paid, which I’m currently thinking might be around the 500 subscribers mark.

If you’re not able to pledge, then please do sign up for free. You won’t have to worry about missing anything, and again, it’ll spur me on to write more.

Please share far and wide!

It goes without saying: the only way to spread the word about this (for me) crucial project, is for you to pass it on to everyone you think might be interested, and frankly, anyone who might not.

Editorial Note:

I sometimes edit pieces for clarity or poor grammar after publication, so the latest version will always be on the website or in the Substack app, and not necessarily in the email you receive as a subscriber. Once published, however, I do not make any substantive changes without adding a note to that effect.

To find out more about the pretty amazing company that provides the tech for Progress/Survival, please visit Substack.com.