The roots of this disillusionment may be found in the limits of the economy and the environment. Among economists, the notion of progress is generally equated with economic growth. However, the dominant opinion remains that economic growth is necessary for progress. Gowdy questions whether economic growth in the past has ever led to progress. The relentless march of the market has eliminated many traditional cultures and values in the twentieth century.
Survival is dependent upon flexibility and diversity.
Human society has become increasingly dependent upon one type of market and technological system, leaving less capacity for adaptability and flexibility. We have lost much of the genetic information for survival within our own species, and among other species. Even if this were enough, much of the world's population remains on the brink of starvation. Those of the hunter-gatherer societies were stronger, healthier, and had more sustainable economies. The first is the free market ideology, in which the economy is usually seen as independent from Nature.