|
|
|
|
@ -1,7 +1,8 @@ |
|
|
|
|
Title: Part 1: Against Primitivism |
|
|
|
|
Category: Blog |
|
|
|
|
Date: 1312-13-13 |
|
|
|
|
Date: 2019-11-22 |
|
|
|
|
Tags: culture, technology, anarchy |
|
|
|
|
Status: Draft |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is the first of two blog posts that will be slightly more |
|
|
|
|
philosophical than other texts on my blog. |
|
|
|
|
@ -19,22 +20,21 @@ In simple terms, primitivism yearns to return to a simpler time, |
|
|
|
|
removing technology from human lives as much as possible. This is |
|
|
|
|
meant to address one of the largest sources of anguish and anxiety in |
|
|
|
|
our modern society, removing it from the equation. In many places |
|
|
|
|
primitivism even frames itsels as revolutionary. |
|
|
|
|
primitivism even frames itself as revolutionary. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The problem with this analysis is that it is inherently linked with |
|
|
|
|
privilege. This can take many forms. A mild form would seek to |
|
|
|
|
abolish the internet, personal computers and phones, arguing that |
|
|
|
|
letting people return to real-life communities will result in more |
|
|
|
|
happiness and a more "natural" life. |
|
|
|
|
privilege. This can take many forms. A mild form would seek to abolish |
|
|
|
|
the internet, personal computers and phones, arguing that letting |
|
|
|
|
people return to real-life communities will result in more happiness |
|
|
|
|
and a more "natural" life. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This fails to acknowledge that these technologies are life saving for |
|
|
|
|
many, giving both social outcasts and various disabled people a space |
|
|
|
|
to have a community. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
But most often it is not those affected who make the case for these |
|
|
|
|
measures. Usually it is white, able bodied men that fail to |
|
|
|
|
understand how their perception of society is skewed because of their |
|
|
|
|
own biases. |
|
|
|
|
measures. Usually it is white, able bodied men that fail to understand |
|
|
|
|
how their perception of society is skewed because of their own biases. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An even more extreme form of primitivism would reject more general |
|
|
|
|
technological advancements, arguing for things to be "good" because |
|
|
|
|
@ -44,15 +44,15 @@ with: what about medicine, what about artificial aids? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Against the internet |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is true, that in the modern world technology has been turned against |
|
|
|
|
us. Except for a small group of technologists (software developers, |
|
|
|
|
hackers, ...) the usage of technology is heavily controlled by |
|
|
|
|
companies, that use it to spy on people, control their behaviour and |
|
|
|
|
[more][rigging]... |
|
|
|
|
It is true, that in the modern world technology has been turned |
|
|
|
|
against us. Except for a small group of technologists (software |
|
|
|
|
developers, hackers, ...) the usage of technology is heavily |
|
|
|
|
controlled by companies, that use it to spy on people, control their |
|
|
|
|
behaviour and more... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On some level it is understandable that the narrative of primitivism |
|
|
|
|
has emerged (not that it is in any way new, but it feels like the |
|
|
|
|
ideas are making a comeback in various communities). |
|
|
|
|
has emerged. This is not to say that these ideas are in any way new, |
|
|
|
|
but in a way they are making a comeback in certain leftist circles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For someone, not being able to code and only having minor |
|
|
|
|
technological literacy, this fight might seem lost. Approaches like |
|
|
|
|
@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ the one previously outlined seem welcome. I feel it is important to |
|
|
|
|
point out though that the demographic of people coming to this |
|
|
|
|
conclusion is already skewed. More vulnerable people that are |
|
|
|
|
dependent on technology have a different analytical framework and come |
|
|
|
|
to radically different solutions (more to that later). |
|
|
|
|
to radically different solutions (more on that in a future post). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is this narrative that inspired these posts, at least in part. I |
|
|
|
|
feel that to proclaim to "blow up the internet" (for example) is lazy |
|
|
|
|
@ -82,16 +82,16 @@ There is this notion that computers are fundamentally flawed, not |
|
|
|
|
because they are fallible and replicate a human's biases, but because |
|
|
|
|
of their foundational inner workings: binary! The sheere fact that |
|
|
|
|
computers operate on the basic assumptions of truths and falsehoods |
|
|
|
|
means that there is to assume to _be_ universal truths. Right? |
|
|
|
|
means that there is to assume to _be_ universal truths. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wrong! Not only are conclusions from this hypothesis often shallow and |
|
|
|
|
Not only are conclusions from this hypothesis often shallow and |
|
|
|
|
reductionist, they also misunderstand the performative, |
|
|
|
|
interpretational nature of computers. On the wire every signal is |
|
|
|
|
analog. It is the interpolation to binary that gives them |
|
|
|
|
meaning. But: this does not mean it is represantative of a truth, it |
|
|
|
|
meaning. But: this does not mean it is representative of a truth, it |
|
|
|
|
is merely a projection of an assumption. The same way that axioms in |
|
|
|
|
mathematicts are not "truths", but rather assumptions to build |
|
|
|
|
discoveries on top. |
|
|
|
|
mathematics are not "truths", but rather assumptions to build |
|
|
|
|
discoveries on top of. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The same can be applied to binary data: on the wire all data looks |
|
|
|
|
pretty much the same. Again, it is an interpretation that turns |
|
|
|
|
|
