[stareatgoats]

> Perhaps future generations will see us as enlightened

Sorry for being a bit like a terrier here, not letting go of my "prey" once I have sunk my teeth into it. The prey in this case (which I tried to express in the parent) is the notion that one can generalize the opinions, or lenses if you like, of an entire age, be it the present, or some age in the past or future. So, "future generations will see" is a variety of this, and I'm protesting: one should not use such language at all, instead one could for example say "the dominant view among people in academia", or "some mechanics that work in east coast autoshops", or "the druids generally held the view", or "the mainstream view in the future will probably be" etc.

That aside, yes - this is also one of my problems with large trends not only in academia, but culture in general: there is not much of attempt to understand previous ages on their own terms. Instead the present day ideas and ideals are projected on radically different times. Not always; historians who are serious about their work will at least try to avoid it.