What exactly is wrong with industrial society?

Presentation – Industrial society and its future

What exactly is wrong with industrial society?

Reading Theodore Kaczynski’s manifesto “Industrial Society and its future” has allowed me to put into words some ideas and objections against our modern way of life that I’ve been having for a long time. Some of the ideas in the manifesto are a bit extreme – as is often the case with the ideas of intelligent people – but I feel like there still are some very solid points to this work, even if a few of them have to be toned down to be politically correct.

The “system” or society in which we all evolve is fundamentally flawed, and there’s no way to stop the harm it's doing not only to the planet, but also to Humanity without radically changing the way that system functions. The way we think also needs to be changed: we need to stop glorifying technological progress for the sake of progress, as it is a meaningless chase with no real end goal; we need to recognize that the infrastructure we evolve in is obviously dangerous and harmful; we need to return to a simpler, in some aspects less comfortable, but considerably more fulfilling way of life. We’re not biologically fit for urban life, nor should we let ourselves rely on technology for every and each of our needs. Just imagine: what wouldn’t we lose if electric systems suddenly went out for good? How many would die?

I’ll try to present, discuss and convince others in the class that such ideas are actually relevant despite how controversial they might seem. I’ll briefly explain Ted Kaczynski’s backstory, without making the presentation about him rather than his work. I’ll need to deal in a clear and easy-to-understand way with some of the underlying concepts of such a topic, such as accelerationism or anarcho-primitivism.

TEASER.

By a show of hands 🡪 who thinks that society is in the best shape it’s ever been?

Let’s push the matter of climate change and pollution aside for a second. On the surface, society looks great!

Here’s a few facts: Each year, we’re lifting insane amounts of people out of extreme poverty:  2 billion in 1990, 600 million in 2020 (we’re a few billions more now than we were then). More people are dying from obesity than from hunger! *isn’t that great*. Treatments for diseases, including cancer are better than they’ve ever been. Now, let’s look at the flip side of the coin.

According to projections, by 2050, the population will peak at 10 billion. Why? Because the planet can only host so many folks, especially if they have good living standards. Less poverty now 🡪more space taken up 🡪 population peaks sooner. Part of the reason why more people are dying of obesity than from hunger is because obesity has never been so high (from 1 to 10% in CHILDREN during last 30 years). We’re in the worst physical shape that we’ve ever been. “How will he manage to turn cancer around?” 🡪 Well, turns out that if we’re able to save so many people from cancer, it’s because there’s an insane number of cases. Asbestos, particle pollution, mass production of cigarettes, microplastics => all because of industrial society. So, whatever can we do against those issues?

        SCRIPT FOR VIDEO.

• 3 MINUTES ON KACZYNSKI

Growing up

Music starts, for a few seconds. *Date in black and white* May 22nd, 1942. Theodore John Kaczynski is born to *Photo of Parents* Theodore Richard and Wanda Theresa Kaczynski in Chicago. *Photo of him as happy kid, merit* Even though he’s very introverted, Ted Kaczynski grows up to be a brilliant kid, skipping several grades and testing at 167 on an IQ test at the age of 10. He graduates high school 3 years early at the age of 15, and is encouraged to apply to *Picture of Harvard* the university of Harvard, which accepts him and even offers him a scholarship.

There, he studies mathematics for four years, before obtaining a *Picture of Kaczynski’s degrees* bachelor’s degree. During his second year in Harvard, Kaczynski partakes in a psychological study led by Harvard Psychologist *Picture of Henry Murray* Henry Murray. In this study, the subjects discuss their personal philosophies and world view with a psychiatrist, who then violently confronts and belittles the very points of view of the subjects, whose *Picture of electro encephalogram machine* brain activities and reactions are recorded. Although clearly emotionally abusive, Kaczynski will later state that even though he hates Murray for what he did, he doesn’t feel like the study had a lasting effect on him.

*Kaczynski as assistant professor* Having graduated from Harvard, Kaczynski is recruited in 1962 by the University of Michigan, where he earns his doctorate in mathematics in 1967. His thesis wins the Sumner B. Myers Prize for Michigan's best mathematics dissertation of the year, and a member of his dissertation committee notes that “maybe 10 or 12 men in the country understood or appreciated it”. Kaczynski then moves on to become a professor at the *Picture of Berkeley* University of Berkeley, in California. He teaches there for 2 years, before resigning seemingly out of the blue in 1969. *Fade to black*

        Things get interesting

        Kaczynski settles in a *Picture of the golden ratio house* small cabin in the woods in Montana. He lives an extremely simple way of life, and becomes virtually autonomous, only establishing contact with society to go to a library in the nearest town. Between 1978 and 1995 he will regularly mail *Picture of handmade bomb* bombs to a series of institutions, stores and people that to him represent the vices of industrial society: Oil lobbyists, plane companies, engineers and even professors of computer science. He makes himself virtually untraceable, until 1995, when he offers the *Picture of Washington Post Newspaper* Washington Post to cease all terrorist activity if they accept to publish his manifesto: *Picture of a cover of the book* Industrial Society and Its Future. *Cut to Black, Cut Music*

        Let’s take a break from the narrative

        Although I would have loved to give you guys an extremely detailed overview of everything that happened to Kaczynski after that, what I’m interested in are the contents of this book.

• INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AND ITS FUTURE

*Write Quote, white on black and read it* The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

*Evolution of human occupation through the last century* Since the early 19th century, civilization has grown so fast and to such a scale that it has become impossible to live outside it. Humans have made theirs the entire globe, and every habitable place on earth is inhabited *picture of remote village in mountains*, or at least belongs to somebody. This forces anyone currently alive into *picture of text of laws* following a set of rules, set into place by others.

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