Key Takeaways
1. The Industrial Revolution has been a disaster for humanity.
The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.
System's pervasive harm. The industrial-technological system, despite increasing life expectancy in "advanced" nations, has profoundly destabilized society and inflicted severe damage on the natural world. It has made life unfulfilling, subjected individuals to indignities, and led to widespread psychological suffering, with physical suffering also prevalent in the Third World. The continued advancement of technology is predicted to exacerbate these problems, leading to greater indignities, environmental destruction, and social disruption.
Inevitable negative outcomes. If this system persists, it may eventually reduce suffering, but only after a long, painful adjustment period and at the cost of permanently transforming human beings and other organisms into engineered products and mere cogs in a vast social machine. The system, by its very nature, cannot be reformed or modified to prevent it from stripping people of their dignity and autonomy. Its survival guarantees these dehumanizing consequences.
Urgency for breakdown. Conversely, if the system collapses, the consequences will still be painful, but the longer it grows, the more catastrophic its breakdown will be. Therefore, an earlier breakdown is preferable to a later, more devastating one. This necessitates a revolution against the industrial system, not merely a political one, but a fundamental overthrow of its economic and technological foundations.
2. Modern Leftism stems from inferiority and oversocialization.
The two psychological tendencies that underlie modern leftism we call “feelings of inferiority” and “oversocialization.”
Psychological roots of leftism. Modern leftism, encompassing socialists, collectivists, "politically correct" types, feminists, and various activists, is primarily driven by two psychological tendencies: feelings of inferiority and oversocialization. Feelings of inferiority manifest as low self-esteem, powerlessness, depressive tendencies, guilt, and self-hatred, leading leftists to identify intensely with groups perceived as weak or inferior.
Hypersensitivity and hatred. This inferiority complex makes leftists hypersensitive to perceived slights against minority groups, often attaching negative connotations to terms that were originally neutral. They tend to hate anything strong, good, or successful, such as America, Western civilization, or rationality, often rationalizing this hatred with superficial criticisms while overlooking similar faults in non-Western or socialist contexts. Their anti-individualistic, pro-collectivist stance stems from a deep-seated feeling of being a "loser" in competition.
Oversocialization's burden. A significant and influential segment of modern leftists, particularly intellectuals, are "oversocialized," meaning society's moral code imposes a severe psychological burden on them. Unable to act or think in a completely moral way without guilt, they continually deceive themselves about their motives. This oversocialization restricts their thoughts and behaviors, leading to a sense of constraint and powerlessness, which they attempt to escape through rebellion that often aligns with accepted societal values, merely accusing mainstream society of failing to uphold them.
3. The "Power Process" is essential for human psychological health.
Thus, in order to avoid serious psychological problems, a human being needs goals whose attainment requires effort, and he must have a reasonable rate of success in attaining his goals.
Fundamental human need. Human beings possess a fundamental, likely biological, need for what is termed the "power process," which involves having goals, exerting effort to achieve them, and successfully attaining those goals. This process is crucial for psychological well-being; without it, individuals, even those with immense power, experience boredom, demoralization, and severe psychological problems, as seen in leisured aristocracies.
Goal-oriented existence. The power process is distinct from mere power; it requires active engagement towards meaningful objectives. If basic physical necessities are met without effort, individuals become bored and demoralized. Consistent failure to achieve important goals, conversely, leads to defeatism, low self-esteem, or depression. Therefore, a reasonable rate of success in effortful goal attainment is vital for mental health.
Autonomy's role. A critical fourth element of the power process, for most people, is autonomy: the ability to undertake efforts on one's own initiative and under one's own direction. When decisions are dictated from above or made by groups so large that individual input is insignificant, the need for autonomy is unmet, leading to a sense of constraint and powerlessness. This disruption of the power process is a primary source of modern society's widespread psychological issues.
4. Modern society forces reliance on unsatisfying "surrogate activities."
We use the term “surrogate activity” to designate an activity that is directed toward an artificial goal that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work toward, or let us say, merely for the sake of the “fulfillment” that they get from pursuing the goal.
Artificial goal pursuit. In modern industrial society, where minimal effort is required to satisfy basic physical needs, people often create "surrogate activities" – artificial goals pursued for the sake of the "fulfillment" derived from the pursuit itself, rather than the inherent value of the goal. Examples include:
- Scientific work
- Athletic achievement
- Humanitarian work
- Artistic creation
- Climbing the corporate ladder
- Accumulating wealth beyond practical need
- Social activism for issues not personally critical
Inadequate fulfillment. While these activities provide some sense of purpose, they are generally less satisfying than pursuing "real" goals (those desired even if the power process were already fulfilled). People deeply involved in surrogate activities often remain restless and unsatisfied, constantly striving for more. This is because, in modern society, biological needs are met not autonomously but by functioning as part of a vast social machine, leaving a void that artificial pursuits cannot fully fill.
Purposelessness and identity crisis. The prevalence of surrogate activities contributes to a widespread sense of purposelessness, often termed "anomie" or "middle-class vacuity," and fuels the "identity crisis" as individuals search for meaningful commitment. Existentialism, too, can be seen as a response to this modern purposelessness. The need for the power process can only be truly satisfied through activities with external, tangible goals like physical necessities, love, status, or revenge, rather than self-referential "fulfillment."
5. Industrial society inherently restricts freedom and autonomy.
The degree of personal freedom that exists in a society is determined more by the economic and technological structure of the society than by its laws or its form of government.
Systemic control. Modern industrial-technological society inevitably restricts human freedom, not through arbitrary tyranny, but through its inherent structure. Individuals are bound by an intricate web of rules and regulations, and their lives are dictated by decisions made by remote, uninfluenceable entities. This close regulation of human behavior is essential for the system's efficient functioning, from workplace obedience to bureaucratic adherence.
Erosion of autonomy. The system constantly pressures individuals to conform to behaviors far removed from natural human patterns, such as forcing adolescents into technical studies they dislike. This leads to a growing number of people who cannot or will not adjust, manifesting as social problems like welfare dependency, youth gangs, and anti-government rebellion. Local autonomy is increasingly impossible as communities become dependent on large-scale technological systems and decisions made far away.
Human behavior molded. Ultimately, the system does not exist to satisfy human needs; rather, human behavior must be modified to fit the system's requirements. This is driven by technical necessity, not ideology. The system provides for needs only when it benefits its own functioning, and it exerts constant pressure to mold behavior, often through indirect coercion, psychological manipulation, and propaganda, defining "mental health" by an individual's conformity to systemic needs.
6. Technology is an unstoppable force that cannot be reformed.
It is not possible to make a lasting compromise between technology and freedom, because technology is by far the more powerful social force and continually encroaches on freedom through repeated compromises.
Irreversible encroachment. Technology is a far more powerful social force than the aspiration for freedom, constantly eroding it through a series of seemingly minor compromises. Each new technical advance, initially appearing desirable and optional, eventually transforms society in ways that make the technology indispensable, thereby restricting freedom. For example, motorized transport, initially a choice, reshaped cities and made car dependence a necessity, limiting freedom of movement.
Unified and unidirectional. Modern technology is a unified, interdependent system; its "bad" parts cannot be separated from its "good" parts. Progress in one area, like medicine, relies on the entire technological infrastructure. Once introduced, technical innovations become permanent and irreversible within a civilization, creating dependencies that push society towards greater technologization. The system can only move in one direction: forward.
Technicians' allegiance. Technicians, deeply invested in their specialized work (a surrogate activity), almost always prioritize their technical pursuits over freedom when conflicts arise. Scientists, educators, and government officials, despite believing in freedom, will compromise it to achieve their work-related goals. This relentless drive, coupled with the rapid, multi-faceted nature of technological advancement, overwhelms any attempts at reform, making piecemeal resistance futile.
7. Society is increasingly controlling human behavior through technology.
But today this may be changing, because modern technology is developing ways of modifying human beings.
Beyond traditional limits. Historically, human nature imposed limits on societal development; people could only be pushed so far before breakdown or inefficiency occurred. However, modern technology is rapidly developing methods to modify human beings, potentially overcoming these natural limits. This includes psychological and biological interventions designed to adjust individuals to the demands of the industrial system.
Psychological and biological tools. Control over human behavior is being asserted through various means:
- Surveillance: Hidden cameras, vast data collection, enhancing law enforcement.
- Propaganda: Mass media, electioneering, advertising, entertainment (as escape from stress).
- Education: Scientific techniques for child development, "parenting" methods instilling systemic values.
- "Mental health" programs: Psychotherapy, "interventions" to induce conformity.
- Drugs: Antidepressants to make intolerable social conditions tolerable.
- Neurology & Genetic Engineering: Modifying the mind and body to suit systemic needs.
Benevolent totalitarianism. This control is often introduced not with totalitarian intent, but as rational, humanitarian responses to societal problems like crime, alcoholism, or the need for skilled workers. Each step, viewed in isolation, appears beneficial or less harmful than the alternative, making resistance difficult. For instance, gene therapy to remove criminal tendencies re-engineers people to fit the system, presented as a "cure" for a "sickness."
8. The future under technology leads to human engineering or extinction.
In the future, social systems will not be adjusted to suit the needs of human beings. Instead, human beings will be adjusted to suit the needs of the system.
The system's survival. If industrial society overcomes its current stresses, it will have achieved sufficient control over human behavior, making people docile enough to ensure its survival. This will remove any remaining obstacles to technological development, leading to complete control over Earth, including all organisms. Human freedom will largely vanish, with power concentrated in a tiny elite, whose own behavior will also be regulated.
AI and human obsolescence. Should artificial intelligence advance to perform all work better than humans, two scenarios emerge:
- Machine autonomy: Machines make all decisions, and humanity becomes dependent to the point of no return, effectively at their mercy.
- Elite control: Humans retain control over machines, but the masses become superfluous. A "humane" elite might biologically or psychologically engineer people to remove their need for the power process, reducing them to contented domestic animals, devoid of freedom.
Engineered conformity. Even without advanced AI, increasing automation will create a surplus of lower-skilled workers, while those employed face ever-increasing demands for specialized training, docility, and conformity. The system will use psychological and biological means to engineer people to fit its needs, sublimating their drive for power into specialized, system-serving tasks. The human race, as we know it, will be utterly transformed, a manufactured product rather than a natural creation.
9. Revolution, not reform, is the only path to freedom.
The only way out is to dispense with the industrial-technological system altogether. This implies revolution, not necessarily an armed uprising, but certainly a radical and fundamental change in the nature of society.
Reform's futility. The industrial system cannot be reformed to reconcile freedom with technology. Attempts at reform are either transitory, quickly overwhelmed by the system's inherent drive, or, if large enough to be permanent, would unpredictably alter society, posing too great a risk for reformers to initiate. Lasting change requires revolutionaries willing to accept radical, dangerous, and unpredictable alterations to the entire system.
Revolutionary commitment. Revolution, despite its greater scope, can be easier to achieve than reform under certain conditions because it inspires an intensity of commitment that reform cannot. A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems at once and create a new world, motivating people to take great risks and make sacrifices. This makes overthrowing the entire technological system more feasible than imposing permanent restraints on any single technology.
Overcoming fear. Reform is always constrained by the fear of painful consequences if changes go too far. However, a revolutionary fever can lead people to endure unlimited hardships for their cause. While a minority may be truly committed, their activity can become the dominant force. This suggests that the system must be sufficiently stressed and unstable for a revolution to be possible, mirroring historical patterns like the French and Russian Revolutions.
10. The industrial system must be destroyed globally and completely.
Until the industrial system has been thoroughly wrecked, the destruction of that system must be the revolutionaries’ only goal.
Singular focus. The primary and overriding goal for revolutionaries must be the complete elimination of modern technology and the industrial system. Any other goals, such as "social justice," would distract attention and energy, and, more critically, tempt revolutionaries to use technology as a tool to achieve those goals, thereby falling back into the technological trap. Modern technology is a unified system; retaining some parts inevitably means retaining most.
International imperative. The revolution must be international and worldwide, as a nation-by-nation approach is unsustainable due to global economic interdependence and the risk of dictatorial nations gaining technological dominance. Measures that bind the world economy into a unified whole, like free trade agreements, may paradoxically be advantageous in the long run by making the system's breakdown in one major nation trigger a global collapse.
Empowering individuals. Instead of advocating for powerlessness, revolutionaries should argue for breaking the industrial system's collective power, which will greatly increase the power and freedom of individuals and small groups. Primitive man had considerable power within nature, knowing how to sustain himself autonomously, unlike modern individuals who are dependent on the system. The destruction of the system will restore this personal power and freedom.
11. Technology's regression is possible, especially for complex systems.
But organization-dependent technology does regress when the social organization on which it depends breaks down.
Two types of technology. The claim that technology always progresses and never regresses is false. A distinction must be made between:
- Small-scale technology: Usable by small communities without outside assistance (e.g., water wheels, basic smithing). This rarely regresses.
- Organization-dependent technology: Relies on large-scale social organization (e.g., refrigerators, modern road construction, urban sanitation). This does regress when the supporting social organization collapses.
Historical evidence. The fall of the Roman Empire illustrates this: small-scale technologies survived, but organization-dependent ones like aqueducts and advanced road construction were lost for centuries. Most technology developed since the Industrial Revolution is organization-dependent, requiring complex infrastructure, specialized parts, and reliable power sources that small groups cannot replicate.
Rebuilding difficulty. If the industrial system were thoroughly broken, much of its technology would quickly be lost and take centuries to rebuild, as it did the first time. Surviving technical knowledge would be scattered, and the enthusiasm for "progress" itself is a relatively modern phenomenon, not inherent to all societies. Therefore, long-lasting technological regression is not only possible but probable under the right conditions.
12. Leftism is a dangerous, totalitarian force incompatible with true revolution.
Leftism is totalitarian force. Wherever leftism is in a position of power it tends to invade every private corner and force every thought into a leftist mold.
Infiltration and distortion. Leftists, driven by their need for rebellion and group affiliation, are often drawn to activist movements, potentially transforming non-leftist movements into leftist ones by replacing or distorting original goals. To prevent this, any movement opposing technology and exalting nature must adopt a resolutely anti-leftist stance and avoid collaboration.
Inherent contradictions. Leftism is fundamentally inconsistent with wild nature, human freedom, and the elimination of modern technology. It is collectivist, seeking to unify the world under organized societal management, which necessitates advanced technology for rapid communication, psychological manipulation, and "planned society." Leftism is unlikely to abandon technology because it is a valuable source of collective power, which is its ultimate drive.
Totalitarian tendency. Leftism, functioning like a quasi-religion, exhibits a totalitarian tendency to impose its morality and control every aspect of life. Historically, power-hungry leftists have repeatedly betrayed non-leftist allies to seize control, as seen in the French and Russian Revolutions. Their activism, being a surrogate activity, means they are never satisfied with achieved goals, constantly seeking new "evils" to correct and new areas to impose their will, ultimately aiming for complete control over human behavior and society.
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