Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How

About the Book

In Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How , Kaczynski compellingly argues for why rational control over the development of society is forever impossible. Rather than being guided by "reason," Kaczynski shows that a universal process analogous to biological natural selection operates autonomously on all dynamic systems and that this process primarily determines all significant historical developments. Furthermore, Kaczynski argues for why the direct consequences of uncontrollable technological growth necessarily leads to a disastrous disruption of the natural equilibrium of global biological and human social systems. Based on this new understanding of social and biological change, and by way of an extensive historical and theoretical examination of prior social movements and revolutions, Kaczynski argues that there is only one route available to effect substantial influence on the course of human development to avoid the disaster that technological growth entails: a revolution against technology and industrial society. To this end, Kaczynski offers a practical, "grand-strategic" prescription for the only realistic way to significantly alter the course of society to prevent the fast-approaching technological disaster.

About the Author :

Theodore John Kaczynski, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Ted Kaczynski) was born in 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Harvard at age sixteen, earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan and became assistant professor of mathematics at UC-Berkeley at the age of twenty-five. After two years, Kaczynski resigned his professorship and moved to a remote wilderness area of western Montana to pursue a life-long ambition of living an autonomous and self-sufficient life from the land, which he did for twenty-five years.

Kaczynski has been incarcerated since 1998 in rigorous confinement at Federal Prison ADX in Florence, Colorado, after receiving a life sentence for the long-term violent campaign he undertook to call world-wide attention to the colossal dangers inherent in technological growth.

Review :
There are more than a few people who feel that society's rush toward a technological future will lead to disaster. This book presents some pointers for thinking in broad, strategic terms about getting society off that particular road. The overall goal for any organization, whether it is social, political or environmental, should be clear and simple. It can't be something vague, like "promoting democracy" or "protecting the environment." The goal also needs to be irreversible; once achieved, it can never be taken away. An example is when women got the right to vote in the early 20th century. After it happened, any politician was going to have a very hard time taking it away from them. No matter how democratic an organization claims to be, there will be times when not every issue can be placed before the entire membership for a vote. There needs to be an inner core of committed members with the authority to make such decisions. Throughout history, many people have suggested that human society needs to be "planned" or "controlled," for various reasons. A huge, chaotic thing like human society can not be controlled to any great extent. At most, it can be "nudged" in one direction or another. Who decides in what direction human society should go? What is a "good" outcome? Assume, just for a moment, that it is possible to control human society. Assume that there is a computer system big enough to handle the trillions of equations that need to be solved. Who is in charge, a person or a small group? Who gets to decide who that person, or people, should be? Can a lack of ego be guaranteed? A number of writers, including Ray Kurzweil, are looking forward to the day when human immortality, or the coming of human cyborgs or the uploading of a person's brain to a computer become reality. The author asserts that these are nonsense. For instance, immortality will only be available to the one percent, not to everyone. This book is heavy history and social science, so it is not for everyone. The reader will get a lot out of it. This is very highly recommended. Reviewer's Bookwatch: June 2018 James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jun_18.htm#paul - - Midwest Book Review "Kaczynski's second book, Anti-Tech Revolution , is a true milestone in thinking about technology. It is a well-researched, well-written, and thoroughly-documented work dedicated to undermining the technological system before its worst consequences become reality. Nothing else like it exists. All those concerned with the future of humanity and the planet would do well to study it carefully." Prof. David Skrbina , University of Michigan, Dearborn, USA "In this thoughtful book, Dr Kaczynski provides a blueprint for the radical anti-technology movement. If you want to stop AI before it's too late, this may be your best bet." Dylan Evans, Ph.D. , author of The Utopia Experiment "Kaczynski understands what those of us more fully participating in the technological system are unable to fully appreciate: that technological society is beyond rational human control and will result in cataclysmic harm. What he presents is a sound moral argument with what should be eye-opening historical social illustrations that are, together, too numerous to refute." Jai Galliott, Ph.D. , School of Engineering and Information Technology, UNSW Canbarra