Is modern thought more advanced than the Greeks and Romans? Most people fall on the side of “duh, of course,” but in 16th century France the debate between the Ancients and the Moderns was fierce.
Some people call this a debate between “progress” and “authority” – although apparently Leo Strauss called that reductionist. It’s pretty obvious which side won the argument, because the idea of a more enlightened ancient past is … past.