When discussing the "development" or "progress" of the human race, it is important to distinguish between technological evolution and moral evolution.  An increase in knowledge or technology doesn't guarantee a development in what makes us human.  It doesn't guarantee a change in our beliefs, fears, values, perspectives, etc.  Although we have developed significantly from a technological standpoint, there is a lot of evidence that, during the course of recorded history, the human race hasn't changed very much otherwise.

     Listing its benefits, a literature anthology I was reading praised itself for containing "works that mirror contemporary social issues."  The validity of that statement doesn't need to be questioned.  What needs to be analyzed is why centuries of literature remain relevant to us as humans.  A phrase such as "the human condition has remained the same" seems to explain this.  Humanity needs to stop taking the constancy of the human position for granted and see this perpetual "condition" as a cry to get over some of the things holding us back from development as a unified race.  Namely racism, materialism, violence, intolerance, etc.

     Whenever we encounter a situation in art, history, or any field of study in which there is a similarity between us and our ancestors, it is important to identify what the similarity and, if it's undesirable, expose it for discussion and possible alteration.