Finished reading: Technopoly by Neil Postman 📚

A persuasive account of the rise and triumph (heh) of technology over all aspects of culture. I imagine it rings even more true today than when it was written (1992!). Some of his historical work is a little broad and impressionistic. However, if, like me, you find his overall account plausible, then it’s not hard to imagine specialists putting some of his historical judgments on firmer footing.

The only other thing to note: Works of cultural criticism like Technopoly always have trouble landing the plane with creative solutions (see: Deneen’s Why Liberalism Failed). This is not meant as a harsh criticism: describing problems is easier than proposing solutions. Postman makes a big deal throughout of the ways that Technopoly has undermined traditional narratives and frameworks for making meaning and giving coherence to human life. His gesture at a potential solution in the final chapter involved a revamped approach to education under the banner of what he calls “the ascent of humanity” (drawing on the similarly titled work by Jacob Bronowski). Suffice it to say: such a meager proposal seems totally inadequate to the daunting challenge that Technopoly so aptly describes.