The "don't judge the past by today's standards" argument sounds principled. It references real historical philosophy — presentism, anachronism, the dangers of projecting backwards. And if you look at it charitably, it almost makes sense.

Except it's never used charitably.

Nobody invokes it for Rosa Parks. Nobody says we can't assess the abolitionists by modern standards. The argument travels in one direction only: toward the powerful, away from the powerless. And when you notice that pattern, you start asking harder questions — like, if moral standards can't cross generations, how does the land? If guilt doesn't inherit, how does the portfolio?

In this episode, Gavin traces the presentism argument from its philosophical roots through its modern deployment — in conversations about Jefferson, in Canadian debates over residential schools, in the guy who told him socialism never worked because he didn't know Guyana existed.

It's a comedy show. It's also doing something real.

🎙 Park Bench Ontology — existential comedy for the end of the world.

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Also, Check out the Substack: Dispatch From The Simulation

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🎙 Park Bench Ontology — existential comedy for the end of the world.

🔗 Follow & Support: