Techno-Optimist Manifesto
* Manifesto: The Techno-Optimist Manifesto. By Marc Andreessen.
URL = https://pmarca.substack.com/p/the-techno-optimist-manifesto?
Excerpt
Marc Andreessen:
"Techno-Optimists believe that societies, like sharks, grow or die.
We believe growth is progress – leading to vitality, expansion of life, increasing knowledge, higher well being.
We agree with Paul Collier when he says, “Economic growth is not a cure-all, but lack of growth is a kill-all.”
We believe everything good is downstream of growth.
We believe not growing is stagnation, which leads to zero-sum thinking, internal fighting, degradation, collapse, and ultimately death.
There are only three sources of growth: population growth, natural resource utilization, and technology."
(https://pmarca.substack.com/p/the-techno-optimist-manifesto?)
Discussion
From the Critique by
"//
“We are told to denounce our birthright — our intelligence, our control over nature, our ability to build a better world.”
Did he really just say it is our birthright to control nature? Can we just sit with this for a half second and marvel at its anthropocentricity?
//
“We believe growth is progress — leading to vitality, expansion of life, increasing knowledge, higher well being.”
How anyone as smart has him cannot plainly see indefinite growth that utilizes materials on a finite planet is fatal is beyond me.
//
“Our civilization was built on technology.”
Yes. And. This misses the vital point that the incentive structure underlying that technology dictates whether it is net beneficial or detrimental to life on this planet. Tech as he preaches it alongside market fundamentalism / neoliberalism = suicide.
//
“We believe that there is no material problem — whether created by nature or by technology — that cannot be solved with more technology.”
The fundamentalism and lack of nuance here is unreal. Seriously who is going to play him on SNL — no need for a script it’s already written in the post.
//
“Profits are the incentive for producing supply that fulfills demand.”
Can we envision a world where purpose is the incentive for producing supply that fulfills demand? The lack of purpose, btw, is one of the things driving the global rise of anxiety and depression. Again, narrow thinking on display here. We are spiritually bereft in the culture of profits that capitalism has broght forth.
//
More information
- Book: The Coming Wave. By Mustafa Suleyman.