What is it that makes humans uniquely human? This, in part, is the question that G.K. Chesterton starts with in this classic exploration of human history. Responding to the evolutionary materialism of his contemporary H.G. Wells, Chesterton affirms human uniqueness and the unique message of the Christian faith in this work. Writing in a time when social Darwinism was rampant, Chesterton instead argued that the idea that society has been steadily progressing from a state of primitivism and barbarity towards civilization is woefully inaccurate.