Philosopher Challenges Silicon Valley's 'Dark Enlightenment' in New Book
Philosopher Guillaume Paoli's latest book, 'Something Better than Optimism', challenges the prevalent techno-optimism, particularly the 'dark enlightenment' of Silicon Valley. Paoli argues that the pursuit of control and inequality, inspired by Bernard Mandeville's ideas, is leading us towards collapse. Meanwhile, optimism in annual climate summits has waned, with poor results from recent events hosted by oil and gas states.
Paoli, in his book, critiques the dominant techno-optimism, which he sees as rooted in Mandeville's view of humans as soulless machines. This perspective, now popular among Silicon Valley tech billionaires, aims for an extremely unequal society where the many work hard while the few enjoy life. Paoli refrains from categorical pessimism, instead offering 'better than optimism' as a way to deal with the coming collapses and what can still be saved.
Paoli sees the failure of climate diplomacy as an important indicator against optimism. Current policies are not enough to achieve the two-degree target, let alone the 1.5-degree target. The quiet death of optimism in annual climate summits, hosted by oil and gas states, further underscores this reality.
Guillaume Paoli's 'Something Better than Optimism' provides a stark reminder that our current trajectory, driven by techno-optimism and the pursuit of control and inequality, is unsustainable. Paoli's ideology critique offers a way forward, acknowledging the bleak prospects for Homo sapiens while leaving a tiny window of hope.
