![]() He expresses concern about the loss of individual autonomy, the erosion of our democracy, and the possible rise of digital dictatorships and totalitarian powers. Harari raises long-term questions and concerns as he believes we approach the potential tipping points of technological disruption. He is skeptical of the potential speed of technological development, however, and sees human society as robust and progressive. Pinker tends to be more optimistic than Harari, arguing that past improvements suggest that humanity could continue to make progress in the future. Harari and Pinker share concerns about climate change, the renewed threat of nuclear conflict, and technological disruption. The optimist’s and pessimist’s view of humanity in this trilogy is based in large part on an interview with two great thinkers of our time: Professor Steven Pinker and Professor Yuval Harari, on October 7, 2019. Harari and Pinker are renowned scholars and authors of macrohistory, and the conversation with both men offers interesting insights and implications for how we think about the long-term future.īoth professors were asked the question, “what does the future of humanity look like from the point of view of an optimist and pessimist.” The vision of optimists, pessimist and realists I certainly generalize for the sake of clarity, not to polarize, nor to pass judgment. ![]() In Part 2, I try to give more substance to the views and perceptions of the optimist and pessimist, without trying to subsume the reader into one of the two frames. This may be a bold statement that is approached rather black and white in the first part, but I fully support it, for the reasons explained earlier. ![]() Part 1of the trilogy painted a picture that in turbulent times we are better off listening to pessimists than optimists.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |