john zerzan on technology

john zerzan on technology
http://www.johnzerzan.net/

John Zerzan (born 1943) is an American anarchist and primitivist philosopher and author. His works criticize agricultural civilization as inherently oppressive, and advocate drawing upon the ways of life of prehistoric humans as an inspiration for what a free society should look like. Some of his criticism has extended as far as challenging domestication, language, symbolic thought (such as mathematics and art) and the concept of time. His five major books are Elements of Refusal (1988), Future Primitive and Other Essays (1994), Running on Emptiness (2002), Against Civilization: Readings and Reflections (2005) and Twilight of the Machines (2008).

Zerzan is an anarchist, and is broadly associated with the philosophies of anarcho-primitivism, green anarchy, anti-civilisation, post-left anarchy, neo-luddism and embodiment, and in particular opposition to technology.[3] He rejects not only the state, but all forms of hierarchical and authoritarian relations. "Most simply, anarchy means 'without rule.' This implies not only a rejection of government but of all other forms of domination and power as well."[4]

Zerzan's political project calls for the destruction of technology. He draws the same distinction as Ivan Illich, between tools that stay under the control of the user, and technological systems that draw the user into their control. One difference is the division of labour, which Zerzan opposes. In Zerzan's philosophy, technology is possessed by an elite which automatically has power over other users; This power is one of the sources of alienation, along with domestication and symbolic thought.

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[universalwhat]

He says, "dehumanize" as if we can be something we're not.

We, society, are not stress, depressed, and anxious because of technology. We are so because of what we are expected of; to work, to have money in order to eat, be healthy, live comfortably. The problem is money. Money within society is power and leverage. It divides us. It encourages us to be greedy and we it weighs on us until we break. Untill we become fearful and then violent.

[fckuvrymch]

"the problem is money"

i couldnt agree more, friend.

[bbbleaver]

if what we do on the net does not lend itself to or carry us into face to face community and contact with others then we are regressing... make the net "obsolete" by using it to organize yourselves/ourselves, to meet,.,.,.,....

[pennilesscripple]

thanks for posting this, cheri

[Fuelforthoughtpgh]

@universalwhat I can agree with your statement, "the problem is money." Money is a large problem in our society, and it is interesting to think; would it be possible for technology to exist in a society without the existence of money. And when I say technology, I am talking about things like computers, cars, etc.... I think you kind of have to look at where the existence of both technology and money began. Because they influence each other a lot today.

[intricatic]

@universalwhat

"He says, "dehumanize" as if we can be something we're not."

"We, society, are not stress, depressed, and anxious because of technology. "

Said some text on the screen.

[Countmaurizio]

@universalwhat I think we are stressed because of technology in it's present form, we are bombarded with inventions and a development going faster, growing more and more complex by the day - but this of course, goes hand in hand with money.

[Barklord]

@universalwhat I think what he means by "dehumanize" is that we are so entirely mediated by technology that we need to research the most simple everyday things like purchasing coffee to see whether it is the result of exploitation etc etc. Technology also requires a lot of planning and financing to maintain. Cars for example are just as much a burden as they are handy. Plus, cars cause a lot of premature deaths and injuries. Just my two cents

[HowlinJay]

This seems increasingly relevant in light of what happened in Arizona recently. Scary.

[talyesin3]

Even primitive people had some sort of technology and industry. The problem is that we have gone too far, using technology to satisfy false needs.Capitalism has developed such a society.Now we are billions and can't live on the earth as before.

So the story has three possible endings in a few decades :absolute domination of the rich , chaos or war.

[letterboxheresy]

@universalwhat

To quote Aldous Huxley: "Science and technology would be used as though, like the Sabbath, they had been made for man, not (as at present and still more so in the Brave New World) as though man were to be adapted and enslaved to them."

Overall I do not disagree with you, I just am pointing out technology is not used for the capitalist fiction of "Advancement of Humanity" rather it enslaves us to think that we are designed for the machines and our material goods define who we are.

[universalwhat]

@letterboxheresy Our desire for more advance technology is not a problem. Technology doesn't dehumanize us. People dehumanize people, not that we should blame our nature but our culture. All of these unnecessary and exploitative innovations are b/c of capitalism. When we are pushed or forced to "play this game"(participate in this market state) we then become uneasy when we're losing and when we're winning, our means of acquiring profit result in others losing as well as our planet.

[letterboxheresy]

@universalwhat

The problem is both, it is materialism. We make ourselves slaves everyday to a culture which teaches us that we must work so that we can go out and buy our material goods that go obsolete in a year and then we must slave ourselves out again to go and buy more technology to further isolate us. And if anyone so much as god forbid asks why we have this circular system they are motherfucking traitors, drug them and throw them in an asylum where they cannot speak.

Good video though.