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Technological Anarchism MAT 200A | Fall 2011 Technological Anarchism Yoon Chung Han MAT Ph.D student Introduction “Technology reduces people to gears in a machine, it takes away our autonomy and our freedom." This was the immediate response when Ted Kaczynski heard about the question “why did you personally come to be against technology?” during an interview few years ago. The most insane, super intelligent but extremely dangerous anarchist was the formal scientist, mathematician and professor Ted Kaczynski. He developed the negative attitude to technological society in his early life, decided to escape to the wildness, and developed his own weapon to destroy the modern society. His aggressive activity resulted in killing three people and hurt twenty-three people. What made him to against techno-industry society? Has the technology really been destroyed the human mind and society? What are the positive and negative effects of technology on the society throughout the development of all kinds of technology? What will be the perfect “Utopia” that Ted Kaczynski dreamed and other technological anarchists have been eager? And what would be the aftereffects of high- techno-industrial system and remedies to cure the problems? After I watched the movie “Das Netz” directed by Lutz Dammbeck, the most intriguing question for me was whether Ted Kaczynski’s argument was really acceptable in improvement of society and what can support his view on the irredeemably corrupt technology. Furthermore, as an artist and designer, I wondered if digital technology, new device, computational system and digital culture ruin and degrade human mind and society. In the following essay, I examine the relationship between technology, anarchism, society and utopia. Based on the Ted Kacyznski’s opinion, I will discuss the merits and weakness of technological anarchism, aftereffects of digital technology, and modern digital utopia. 1. Ted Kazinski In his early life, Ted Kazinski showed his great talents in academia as scientist, Mathematician, researcher, and professor. One probably cannot imagine that he changed his passion as a terrorist and achieved the nickname, “Unabomber” after he left academia, entered to wilderness and tried to kill intelligent scholars. After he felt dissatisfaction on technology and society, he started developing a series of letter bombs, resulting in a string of minor or moderate injuries. The meaning of Unabomber came from a computer abbreviation of the words “universities” and “airlines.” He basically asserted that technology is a totalitarian force, consuming and degrading all aspects of society, and destroying the global environment. Human should live without any effect from technology since they are based on nature and non-technology background. Here are the Ted’s arguments1: - Humans evolved under primitive, low-tech conditions. Our bodies and minds are designed to live and thrive under precisely these conditions. - Present technological society is radically different than our natural state, and imposes unprecedented stresses upon us. - Technologically-induced stress will only continue to worsen. Humanity will either be utterly debilitated, or reconstructed and transformed to meet the demands of the system. - Such an outcome is undignified, abhorrent, and profoundly dehumanizing. - It is impossible to reform the system so as to avoid this nightmare future. He inserted that human should live without any complicated technological system, and should be independent and survive as they were born in primitive age. Somehow the reality in present time showed some negative aspects of technology as Ted argued. The human being keep growing and non-human species are destroyed at the same time. The human being is dependent and vulnerable without help from technology and machine. Since the human being is too fragile and intellectual to survive in the competitive society, digital technology have become a great tool to expand the living boundaries, protective weapons and social communication method. Technology have 1 Skrbina, David. “Technological Anarchism: Reconsidering the Unabomber”, “Chromatikon V” p.194 made it possible to realize the human dream such as computerized environment, fast transportation, creation of artificial food, or wireless communication but along with destruction of nature at the same time. However, unlike Ted’s negative opinion, in this digital era, our body has been evolved throughout the development of technology, and it’s no more co-existed in nature and non-technological environment in reality. It’s clear to see that human have gotten used to handle all kinds of digital devices and atmosphere very quickly. The speed to adjust to new technology and system is getting faster and faster. Human mind in this present society is clearly different from one in ancient time, and a newly evolved system affects to create positive stress to each one’s improvement. Dehumanization based on new technological system and demands of the system may turn out the new characteristic of human mind in digital society, and create new kind of human mind and body that brings new humanity. Thus, the technological system may evolve along with human evolution. The Ted’s argument does not have sufficient grounds and his reaction could be too aggressive to express his inadequate assertion to society. However, there is no right answer here. The significant part is that Ted chose the unnecessarily aggressive and relentless method to against the modern society. The way of expressing his argument as murder and injury cannot be acceptable and it contradicts his fundamental theory that every human is natural-born, primitive, and non-technological entity. The weapon and bomb he used for murder is an artificial creature and high technology is required to create it. The contradiction between his philosophy and method was shown through an interview with professor who was injured and lost his hand by Ted’s letter bomb. Ted attempted to kill him and changed the world, however the only remaining result was to hurt the human mind and deliver the most tragic experience to individual. So the most people argued that Ted is an insane terrorist, however based on his philosophy, he can be called as a technological anarchist who contradicts the technology and its effect on society and human mind. 2. Technological Anarchism The definition of Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be immoral, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations.2 There are many types and traditions of anarchism, and it includes the boundary between extreme individualism and complete collectivism. In this case, the philosophy of Ted is close to the individualism, and so called “Technological anarchism.” Instead of avoiding the government, law, social rule, or it’s ruthless power, technological anarchists attempt to get rid of technology in their lives. Some anarchists see information technology as the way to replace hierarchy, defeat monopoly, and prevent war, and support culture jamming in particular as a way to do so.3 Their utopia assembles an eco-friendly group, non-technology society, and non- systemized world. What made technology ruin the society? And why do anarchists see the negative aspects of technology and why haven’t anarchists tried to solve the problem in a realistic way? Anarchists said, “Human have always had to deal with problems of technology. We have to save the “good” parts and eliminate the “bad” parts of the system.” Speaking words is much easier than done. Also, destruction of society by using weapons and bomb is not the best idea. Turning back to the original state and starting over may occur the same process of technology development with the same side effects. The ways of improving society by anarchists cause another uncertain, potential negative effects on society and human mind. Human have already been adjusted by use of technology, and if they are required to change their lives, many side effects will be expected. Have technology affected the evolution of human being, or downgraded the human society, culture, and hierarchy? It’s the most controversial topic in these days. For examples, Internet changed human’s life incredibly fast. It contains the biggest resource of information in the entire world. With the interactive mechanism, one can obtain the information and instantly communicate each other. However, the Internet explicitly propagates and implicitly spreads western democratic values. By using audio and visual elements in the Internet, the western democratic values are focused and intrigued with great appeal and attractiveness. Also, Internet encourages dominant cultures and homogenize small and invaluable cultures in the world. Every 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism 3 http://eng.anarchopedia.org/technological_anarchism cultures become resemble each other without any characteristics. People lose their insight and ability to judge the difference of culture. Also, the Internet corrupts people’s minds, influences and changes people’s moral perspectives and ethical values. Anonymity in the Internet world allows people to hide and change their personalities in radical way. Thus, Internet have brought many kinds of negative effects on human and society, and there will be possible solutions for each problem and it will be changed slowly. As the system of Internet has been grown up slowly, the side effects of Internet will be cured at the same slow speed, and it will not be the same to the methods technological anarchist suggested. The free software movement4 is an example of an emergent movement of technological anarchist. Without infinite competition and market economy, one can share the information for free. The information can be used very widely and can open up the infinite possibility of creation and invention. However, the results of use of the free software may take profit, or the free software can be made on non-free environment such as Windows or Mac OS. For instance, the creative commons5 allows people to share contents, and broaden their creativity and productivity. The rule of creative commons is not to create profit, but everything else is totally free.
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