Could mankind declare it was truly wise? Did man know everything on earth, or would he ever? Certainly not!
Hundreds of wise men cannot make the world a heaven, but one idiot is enough to turn it into a hell.
All this is not to suggest that the growth in useful knowledge is leading us to a world of bliss. Athena's gifts were many: she gave King Cecrops the olive tree, but she also gave the city of Troy the wooden horse that led to its destruction. Technology makes people more powerful in exploiting nature, but how and for what purpose they do so remains indeterminate. If the twentieth century has shown us anything, it is that the capacity of humans for intolerance, stupidity, and selfishness has not declined as their technological power has increased.
