Modern internet ... · 10:38pm Oct 11th, 2018
..sometimes still deliver. For example, for this night I read those few links (+ have some others opened already, all from simple pix search):
http://www.newtechnologyandsociety.org/
“Given that belief in progress has, since the Enlightenment, displaced in a large segment of society the earlier faith in salvation, it should be no surprise that our present belief in science and technology exhibits many features normally associated with religion. Here we will briefly discuss four similarities between faith in scientific and technological progress and religious faith: the promise of salvation, the means of controlling and maintaining systems of mass acceptance, the reliance on the wisdom and authority of the ‘experts’, and the ignorance of believers.” (p. 152)
“Ignorance of relevant scientific and technical detail underlies most expressions of exuberant technological optimism, not only among the laymen but even among highly educated scientists and engineers. Over the years, it has been our observation when attending scientific conferences, technical meetings, and briefings with entrepreneurs, that participants express the most hope about a particular technology when they know the least about it. We gave this observation the amusing title: ‘Huesemann’s Law of Techno-Optimism: Optimism is inversely proportional to knowledge.’ Experts who have extensive knowledge of a specific technology express much more guarded optimism, if not pessimism, and generally provide a more balanced view. Given the extreme complexity of industrialized societies, nearly everyone, including highly educated scientists and engineers who are essentially laypersons in any field other than that in which they specialize, is ignorant of the intricacies and possible side effects of most advanced technologies outside their narrow fields of expertise. In the absence of knowledge, it is easy to succumb to technological optimism.” (p. 155)
https://kk.org/thetechnium/the-unabomber-w/ - well, I was not aware about this interesting detail of history .... While I tend to think humans can sometimes imagine truely new ways of relation to each other and non-humans - implementing those new ways of living def. most hardest thing to try today.
https://deepgreenresistancenewyork.org/civilization/ecocide/sustainability-is-destroying-the-earth/
from comments
Herkimer July 31, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Actually, most humans are not destructive, just primarily the few humans in the ruling class, the dominant group with power and control who dominate the narrative of “how humans are naturally.” If we believe the narrative that humans are naturally destructive, we will give less resistance to all the destructive projects of the ruling class. Humans, are, in fact, extremely creative and imaginative. We are no more naturally greedy and gluttonous as we are prone to any opposite behavior. But, we live in an arrangement of power and control that encourages bad behavior because it perpetuates profit, all the incentives are lined up in the for-profit system and unhealthy behavior benefits it. What doesn’t benefit from destructive behavior and nihilistic philosophy is the natural world. If nothing that we do matters, why didn’t everyone just wake up this morning and kill themselves? Because we live in a world with tremendous meaning and purpose and determination to live. Our path has been hijacked by civilization for THEIR greed, for THEIR gain, for THEIR power and control. It is our responsibility to take back control of our path in this one-time experiment of human life on the planet. We certainly can remain in denial, unaware of the problems because there are certainly a lot of beliefs and philosophies out there justifying any and every possible position. It’s a matter of whether you believe you actually have a choice to wake up out of bed in the morning and to do things you believe you are choosing to do because you believe in freewill or do you believe your life is already determined for you and you are just a pre-programmed being. You are right, the earth will survive, eventually, regardless of what we do. This is just our greatest opportunity for us as a life form to demonstrate whether we will allow ourselves to live a path of pre-determination because we know the destination of the direction we are currently heading OR can we express a freedom of our will to survive as a group, a species and change our path and prevent the extermination of a huge portion of all life on the planet. It’s a matter of do you feel any sense of responsibility to protect other living beings that cannot defend themselves from the ravenous appetite of the consumption of civilization? I would claim most people do not feel any responsibility and so that’s the challenge–helping people understand that responsibility and feel a sense of empathy and connection to life. How many centuries, how many religions, how many governments has civilization taught humans to be separate from nature? I find it awesome and inspirational to remove the lies of civilization and see reality more truthfully, more honestly, regardless of the implications of odds.
- this seems to be good/more accurate view on human nature.
And for final line there is (mainstreame'y, as far as opposition to current 'normality can go? ) https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ETe2SZacmLvvr8H9n/how-to-fix-science
Science is broken. We know why, and we know how to fix it. What we lack is the will to change things.
- highlighted by me.
