Technology weaving us into one planetary brain? Don’t be such a neuron!
I Read a super interesting article by Robert Wright in the NYT (via Micheal Dowd) about the evolution of technology. He starts out by making some simple observations about the effects technology has on people, such as being distracted easily or finding it hard to focus on one thing for very long, and the tendency to forgo close, intimate relationships for more shallow, superficial “facebook” type relationships.
However dreadful this may sound, he seems to think that this may all be a part of the evolutionary plan to create one giant brain:
but it’s true that technology is weaving humans into electronic webs that resemble big brains — corporations, online hobby groups, far-flung N.G.O.s. And I personally don’t think it’s outlandish to talk about us being, increasingly, neurons in a giant superorganism; certainly an observer from outer space, watching the emergence of the Internet, could be excused for looking at us that way.
My imagination is churning over the ideas in this article. To think about civilization growing into a global consciousness is something that people have been predicting for so long, and it seems that technology just might be the fertilizer that is needed.
Although, however captivating this notion of a planetary brain may be, I’m reminded of Marshall McLuhans Laws of Media and the inevitable reality that accompanies each new technology that is created: something is enhanced, something is obsolesced, something is retrieved and, when pushed to the extreme, the new technology can flip and have unintended consequences.
But to read Wright’s article, his views of what may come sound rather upbeat. Here is wright quoting tech author Kevin Kelly:
He writes of technology “stitching together all the minds of the living, wrapping the planet in a vibrating cloak of electronic nerves” and asks, “How can this not stir that organ in us that is sensitive to something larger than ourselves?”
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by jesse turri. jesse turri said: Technology weaving us into one planetary brain? Dont be such a neuron! http://is.gd/dlxzl [...]
I'd say that the whole big brain thinking is, to put it bluntly, a bunch of crap. To say we are simply cells within a larger body is to negate the uniqueness and specialness that is every person. I'm all for community mindedness, but only where the individual finds their fulfillment within the larger group. The big mind where I'm just a cog sounds like some kind of fascism.I'm not luddite but I'm definitely not on board with this religion of the technocrats... [/soapbox]
I hear you Jonathan, my enlightenment/modernistic, scientific/rational, Americanized, literate self refuses to give up on the uniqueness of the individual as well. Recognizing the value and worth of every individual person is no doubt a good, necessary thing, and a gift of modern/enlightenment thinking. However I also know, anthropologically speaking, that in pre-modern, oral cultures, there was no sense of self outside of the community. Identity came from, and was intertwined with ones place in the community/family.I suspect very much that both of these perspectives is necessary for the Jesus Disciple to hold, i.e. establishing your individual uniqueness, but then losing it or dying to yourself. I think this is a central part of discipleship.
For instance, Psychologists speak of the importance of having an ego before you let go of your ego. C.G. Jung speaks of the task of the first half of life as being individuation and the second half being transcendence. (Richard Rohr s new book is about this subject)
So in effect, our identity is never truly lost, its always special and valued, but somehow we need transcend that identity to reach new heights, or Kingdoms. ;)
As for how technology fits in to all of this, as McLuhan says: We critique far too soon, we must first seek understanding. Ill always believe this about media (McLuhans term for any human invention): its neither inherently good nor evil, but it is not neutral. It can shape us and change us. Once we know this, and understand how it shapes us, we undermine its power and take away its ability to do so.
Yeah I would agree, but I was more thinking about the individual not as me but as the other. My worry is the possible related movement towards a more utilitarian perspective which could just so easily breed a power move where the weak are expended for the improvement of the strong, in the name of the big brain. I mean isn't this just the technocrats nationalism?I'm not so much worrying about myself but more so the poor and weak who don't have a voice, those voices matter. Which maybe that concern transcends the individual/community trouble. A healthy society which is just & righteous in the Hebrew sense could I bet transcend any social structure.
As far as kingdoms go. We as Christians must be conscious of where technology leads us. I am not saying we can't use technology, but simply that we must be wise in how we use it. No matter the online commitments that one has, as a Christian we must be intentional about creating deep relationships within the physical locale that we live in. Have you read Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's recent book, The Wisdom of Stability (kindle version is 99c on amazon right now). It is great book talking about a great Christian response to the influence of contemporary culture.
If the world is life in the shallows, then Jesus and the kingdom are the life more abundantly of the deep seas.