Philosopher Warns of Extinction as Silicon Valley Pursues 'Dark Enlightenment'
Philosopher Guillaume Paoli presents a stark view of our future in his book 'Something Better than Optimism'. He argues that the current ecological breakdown may lead to the extinction of Homo sapiens. Meanwhile, tech billionaires in Silicon Valley pursue an ideology known as the 'Dark Enlightenment', aiming for extreme inequality and control.
Paoli's philosophy draws from ancient perspectives, accepting our mortality and the likelihood of ecological disasters. He believes the UN climate summits, hosted by major fossil fuel producers, have been ineffective. Paoli argues that the ecological crisis is not merely about climate or CO2 concentration, but a broader issue.
In Silicon Valley, the 'Dark Enlightenment' ideology, developed by philosopher Nick Land, advocates replacing natural life with artificial life. This extreme view is championed by tech billionaires who seek to control everything and everyone. Paoli sees this as a dangerous path, contrasting it with his own call for rational hope, symbolised by the unknown variable X in his 'tiny window of hope'.
Paoli's 'something better than optimism' offers a rational reason to strive for change, despite the grim foreseeable future. However, the 'Dark Enlightenment' in Silicon Valley, with its goal of extreme inequality and control, poses a significant challenge to this hope. The coming century, viewed through the eyes of the ancients, demands our acceptance of mortality and a concerted effort to save our ecosystems.
