Schumacher on Labor, Google
Schumacher's (see prev. post) ideas on labor are fascinating to consider as well (from Wikipedia):
It is unemployment, defined by Schumacher as the degrading saving of manpower through the inappropriate use of advanced machinery, which is the prohibitive cost which no society can afford to pay in the long run. Furthermore the unemployment caused by excessive technological progress will inevitably lead to the revolt of the unemployed.
My position has always been that labor-eliminating machinary will inevitably propel us towards a socialist welfare state. This is not something I advocate, as meaningful labor is an important and fullfilling part of any human being's life. Schumacher points out the obvious flaw in the "degrading saving of manpower".
Which brings me to something that is really bugging me. Schumacher's belief in Homo Viator ("The Human Pilgrim") asserts that humanity as a group is on a journey to discover it's ultimate aim and purpose. While this is mainly a religious question, it also points out that:
if one believes “that there are no higher obligations”, it becomes impossible to resist the appeal of Machiavellianism—“politics as the art of gaining and maintaining power so that you and your friends can order the world as they like it”
Which troubles me greatly. If humanity is truly on a journey to discover it's aim and purpose in the universe, i am very distressed that by far the largest and most prevelant organizer of human efforts is wealth. If this simple reasoning is sound, as it would seem to be, the journey of humanity towards it's true purpose is more than slightly off-track..it's been completely hijacked. So what does this have to do do with Google?
I would ask Google (if he was a person) "What higher power do you believe in? What do you see as man's destiny and purpose within creation? What are you going to do with all of this knowledge..not just about us as individuals but as humanity as a whole?" I would ask Google this because I think it's something everyone should be asked and ask of themselves.
Especially someone who happens to want to know everything about everyone for their own monetary gain.
It is unemployment, defined by Schumacher as the degrading saving of manpower through the inappropriate use of advanced machinery, which is the prohibitive cost which no society can afford to pay in the long run. Furthermore the unemployment caused by excessive technological progress will inevitably lead to the revolt of the unemployed.
My position has always been that labor-eliminating machinary will inevitably propel us towards a socialist welfare state. This is not something I advocate, as meaningful labor is an important and fullfilling part of any human being's life. Schumacher points out the obvious flaw in the "degrading saving of manpower".
Which brings me to something that is really bugging me. Schumacher's belief in Homo Viator ("The Human Pilgrim") asserts that humanity as a group is on a journey to discover it's ultimate aim and purpose. While this is mainly a religious question, it also points out that:
if one believes “that there are no higher obligations”, it becomes impossible to resist the appeal of Machiavellianism—“politics as the art of gaining and maintaining power so that you and your friends can order the world as they like it”
Which troubles me greatly. If humanity is truly on a journey to discover it's aim and purpose in the universe, i am very distressed that by far the largest and most prevelant organizer of human efforts is wealth. If this simple reasoning is sound, as it would seem to be, the journey of humanity towards it's true purpose is more than slightly off-track..it's been completely hijacked. So what does this have to do do with Google?
I would ask Google (if he was a person) "What higher power do you believe in? What do you see as man's destiny and purpose within creation? What are you going to do with all of this knowledge..not just about us as individuals but as humanity as a whole?" I would ask Google this because I think it's something everyone should be asked and ask of themselves.
Especially someone who happens to want to know everything about everyone for their own monetary gain.
Labels: google, labor, schumacher
posted by Sam at
10:36 AM
2 Comments:
Humanity itself may not be properly wired culturally or genetically for the speed of change and growth that these new technologies are bringing. But for now it's still possible for any ordinary person to adapt and survive in this new world.
The Industrial revolution made everyone equal in that with machines an idiot or a genius could operate it and still produce the same thing. It created it's own form of equality through the manufacture of goods. Now the ways in which we contribute to this new 'information' economy is going to be as variable as the incomes.
Certain technologies will help to bring more equality to humanity as it is now. Solar power, for instance, has the potential to help the regions that receive the most sunlight, which is where most of the worlds poverty is concentrated.
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