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First, this post title is worded like clickbait. (edit: it has been updated) Second, can someone suggest alternative readings for those of us who don't want to

First, this post title is worded like clickbait. (edit: it has been updated) Second, can someone suggest alternative readings for those of us who don't want to give attention to work that was publicized via terrorism and murder?

DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
Jacques Ellul (read his "La Technique" first - don't start with "Propaganda" which builds on it): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23746429 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23746429 https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=Jacques%20Ellul&sort=byPopularity&type=all https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
- crabmusket 6y ago
  La Technique is excellent and I'm stoked to see someone recommending it. But it's very dense. I imagine it would also be highly frustratig to a lot of people here for its polemic style and his fast-and-loose approach to citations. (I always remember his line "books are meant to be read, not consulted".) The first 2/5 of the book would probably suffice to get a good understanding of his argument. I read and loved the whole thing, and it's been very influential on my thinking since then. Two articles which cover his work: https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/confronting-the-technological-society https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/confronting-the-... https://crabmusket.net/blog/it-turns-everything-it-touches-into-a-machine/ https://crabmusket.net/blog/it-turns-everything-it-touches-i... (disclaimer, I wrote this) There is also the 76 questions, which you can find across the internet and which are attributed to Ellul: https://76questions.tech https://76questions.tech
valvar 6y ago
Teddy K really is the best read. But you could always read the classic Silent Spring if you want something more mellow. The more adventurous could try Running on Emptiness by Zerzan who AFAIK isn't a terrorist.
- crabmusket 6y ago
  I've heard Walden cited in this context too?
  - valvar 6y ago
    I've yet to read it, but from what I've heard it should be pretty related. It's a classic, anyway, so there's nothing to lose.
zozbot234 6y ago
> Second, can someone suggest alternative readings for those of us who don't want to give attention to work that was publicized via terrorism and murder? Anarcho-primitivism is a fairly well-established critique of large-scale social organization powered by "industrial" technology. Maybe read about neo-tribalism and small-scale living in eco-villages/eco-towns, if you don't want to go deep into anarchist thought.
crocodiletears 6y ago
I really don't think you can beat Kaczynski's piece. He does have a work that he published in prison (Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How), but I think he predominantly builds on, rather than reiterates the point he makes in industrial society.

DyslexicAtheist 6y ago

Jacques Ellul (read his "La Technique" first - don't start with "Propaganda" which builds on it): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23746429 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23746429 https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=Jacques%20Ellul&sort=byPopularity&type=all https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

crabmusket 6y ago
La Technique is excellent and I'm stoked to see someone recommending it. But it's very dense. I imagine it would also be highly frustratig to a lot of people here for its polemic style and his fast-and-loose approach to citations. (I always remember his line "books are meant to be read, not consulted".) The first 2/5 of the book would probably suffice to get a good understanding of his argument. I read and loved the whole thing, and it's been very influential on my thinking since then. Two articles which cover his work: https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/confronting-the-technological-society https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/confronting-the-... https://crabmusket.net/blog/it-turns-everything-it-touches-into-a-machine/ https://crabmusket.net/blog/it-turns-everything-it-touches-i... (disclaimer, I wrote this) There is also the 76 questions, which you can find across the internet and which are attributed to Ellul: https://76questions.tech https://76questions.tech

valvar 6y ago

Teddy K really is the best read. But you could always read the classic Silent Spring if you want something more mellow. The more adventurous could try Running on Emptiness by Zerzan who AFAIK isn't a terrorist.

crabmusket 6y ago
I've heard Walden cited in this context too?
- valvar 6y ago
  I've yet to read it, but from what I've heard it should be pretty related. It's a classic, anyway, so there's nothing to lose.

zozbot234 6y ago

> Second, can someone suggest alternative readings for those of us who don't want to give attention to work that was publicized via terrorism and murder? Anarcho-primitivism is a fairly well-established critique of large-scale social organization powered by "industrial" technology. Maybe read about neo-tribalism and small-scale living in eco-villages/eco-towns, if you don't want to go deep into anarchist thought.

crocodiletears 6y ago

I really don't think you can beat Kaczynski's piece. He does have a work that he published in prison (Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How), but I think he predominantly builds on, rather than reiterates the point he makes in industrial society.