Industrial Society and Its Future

1. The Industrial Revolution: A Disaster for Humanity

The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

Profound negative impact. The industrial-technological system, while increasing life expectancy in advanced nations, has destabilized society, made life unfulfilling, subjected humans to indignities, and caused widespread psychological suffering. It has also severely damaged the natural world, a trend that will only worsen with continued technological development.

Inevitable consequences. If this system survives, it will only achieve a low level of suffering after a long, painful adjustment, permanently reducing humans to engineered products and cogs in a social machine. There is no way to reform it to prevent the deprivation of dignity and autonomy.

Urgency for change. The larger the system grows, the more disastrous its eventual breakdown will be. Therefore, a revolution against this industrial system is advocated, aiming to overthrow its economic and technological basis, rather than just governments, and ideally sooner rather than later.

2. Modern Leftism: A Psychological Symptom of Societal Ills

What we are trying to get at in discussing leftism is not so much a movement or an ideology as a psychological type, or rather a collection of related types.

Underlying psychological tendencies. Modern leftism, encompassing socialists, collectivists, "politically correct" types, feminists, and various activists, is driven by two main psychological tendencies: feelings of inferiority and oversocialization. These feelings are decisive in shaping leftist direction and behavior.

Feelings of inferiority. Leftists often exhibit low self-esteem, powerlessness, depressive tendencies, and self-hatred, leading to hypersensitivity about derogatory terms and intense identification with groups perceived as weak or inferior. They tend to hate anything strong or successful, like Western civilization, and are anti-individualistic, preferring collectivism.

• Hypersensitivity to "politically incorrect" terms.
• Identification with "weak" or "defeated" groups.
• Antagonism towards competition and individual success.

Oversocialization's burden. Many leftists are oversocialized, meaning society's moral code imposes a severe burden, leading to guilt and self-deception. They rebel not against society's basic values, but by accusing mainstream society of violating accepted moral principles, often justifying their hostility and drive for power through these causes.

3. The "Power Process": Essential for Human Fulfillment

In order to avoid serious psychological problems, a human being needs goals whose attainment requires effort, and he must have a reasonable rate of success in attaining his goals.

Fundamental human need. The "power process" is a core human need, likely biological, consisting of having a goal, exerting effort, and attaining that goal. Without this process, individuals experience boredom, demoralization, and psychological problems, as seen in leisured aristocracies.

Beyond mere power. Simply possessing power is insufficient; one must have goals to exercise that power towards. Consistent failure to achieve goals leads to defeatism, low self-esteem, and depression, highlighting the necessity of a reasonable success rate in goal attainment.

Autonomy's role. A crucial fourth element of the power process is autonomy, the ability to undertake efforts on one's own initiative and control. When individuals lack this autonomy, even if goals are achieved, the need for the power process is not fully satisfied, leading to a sense of constraint and powerlessness.

4. Surrogate Activities: Artificial Goals in a Controlled World

We use the term “surrogate activity” to designate an activity that is directed toward an artificial goal that people set up for themselves merely in order to have some goal to work toward, or let us say, merely for the sake of the “fulfillment” that they get from pursuing the goal.

Filling the void. In modern industrial society, where minimal effort satisfies basic physical needs, people often create artificial goals to fulfill their need for the power process. These "surrogate activities" are pursued with intense energy, but their attainment doesn't bring the same deep satisfaction as real goals.

Examples of surrogate activities:

• Scientific work
• Athletic achievement
• Humanitarian work
• Artistic creation
• Climbing the corporate ladder
• Acquisition of excessive wealth
• Social activism for issues not personally vital

Incomplete fulfillment. While many claim fulfillment from surrogate activities, they often remain unsatisfied, constantly striving for more. This is because these activities lack the external, tangible goals (like physical necessities or genuine social connection) that fully satisfy the power process, especially when autonomy is limited.

5. Erosion of Autonomy: Technology's Inevitable Control

The system has to regulate human behavior closely in order to function.

Systemic necessity. Modern industrial society inherently restricts human freedom and autonomy through a vast network of rules, regulations, and dependence on remote decision-makers. This is not arbitrary but a necessary consequence of a technologically advanced, highly organized system that requires predictable human behavior to function efficiently.

Behavioral modification. The system constantly pressures individuals to conform to its needs, often pushing them into roles and behaviors unnatural to human impulses, such as intense technical study. This leads to a growing number of people who cannot or will not adjust, manifesting as social problems like crime, cults, and rebellion.

Loss of local control. The idea of "local autonomy" becomes increasingly impossible as communities become enmeshed in large-scale technological systems (utilities, computer networks, healthcare). Technology applied in one area often has far-reaching effects, making individual or small-group influence over major decisions negligible, leading to a pervasive sense of powerlessness.

6. Industrial Society: Unreformable and Self-Perpetuating

Any attempts at reform would be too timid to be effective.

Fundamental trend. Technology consistently strengthens the industrial system at the expense of individual freedom and local autonomy. Any reform aiming to protect freedom would contradict this fundamental historical trend, making it either transitory or requiring a radical, unpredictable alteration of the entire society.

Complexity and unpredictability. Society is a complex, interrelated system where significant changes have unpredictable consequences. Attempts to reconcile freedom with technology through "naive schemes" are bound to fail, either collapsing or yielding unintended results, as a new society cannot be designed on paper and expected to function as planned.

Technology's relentless advance. Each technical advance, while seemingly desirable in isolation (e.g., electricity, telephones), collectively narrows freedom. Technology is a more powerful social force than the aspiration for freedom because it advances unidirectionally and irreversibly, forcing repeated compromises that erode liberty.

7. Technology's Unified System: No Separating Good from Bad

You can't get rid of the “bad” parts of technology and retain only the “good” parts.

Interconnectedness of technology. Modern technology is a unified, interdependent system. Progress in one area, like medicine, relies on advancements across many other fields (chemistry, physics, computer science) and requires a technologically progressive, economically rich society to sustain it.

Unforeseen negative consequences. Even seemingly beneficial technological advancements, such as medical cures, can have detrimental long-term effects. For example, curing genetic diseases could lead to the spread of those genes, eventually necessitating eugenics or extensive genetic engineering, transforming humans into manufactured products.

Ethical dilemmas. Attempts to regulate technology through "medical ethics" would inevitably lead to the imposition of values by a powerful elite, further eroding freedom. The immense power and perceived benefits of biotechnology make its extensive use inevitable, always aligning with the needs of the industrial-technological system, not individual liberty.

8. Human Behavior Control: The System's Ultimate Goal

In the future, social systems will not be adjusted to suit the needs of human beings. Instead, human being will be adjusted to suit the needs of the system.

Modifying human nature. Modern technology is developing ways to modify human beings, moving beyond past societal limits on human endurance. This includes psychological methods like propaganda, "mental health" programs, and "parenting" techniques, as well as biological methods like antidepressant drugs and genetic engineering.

Rationalized control. Control over human behavior is introduced not with totalitarian intent, but as rational responses to societal problems (e.g., crime, alcoholism, encouraging science study). Each step appears beneficial or less harmful than the alternative, making resistance difficult and gradual.

• Antidepressants for depression.
• Sylvan Learning Centers for academic motivation.
• "Child abuse" prevention to enforce system-desirable behavior.

Inevitable dependence. Just as new technologies become indispensable, so too will behavioral control technologies. If most children are "engineered" to be enthusiastic about studying, parents will be forced to comply to ensure their child's employability, creating a world where functioning without system-prescribed modifications becomes impossible.

9. The Crossroads: Survival Leads to Engineered Humanity

Human freedom mostly will have vanished, because individuals and small groups will be impotent vis-a-vis large organizations armed with supertechnology and an arsenal of advanced psychological and biological tools for manipulating human beings, besides instruments of surveillance and physical coercion.

Two possible futures. Humanity stands at a crossroads: either the industrial system survives the coming decades of stress, or it breaks down. If it survives, it will have solved its problems, especially "socializing" humans, leading to complete control over Earth, including human beings.

The elite's control. In a surviving system, a tiny elite will wield real power, while the masses become superfluous. This elite might exterminate humanity, reduce birth rates, or act as "good shepherds," biologically or psychologically engineering people to remove their need for the power process, reducing them to domestic animals.

Continuous transformation. Even if artificial intelligence doesn't fully replace human labor, increasing specialization and demands will require humans to be ever more docile and conforming. Technology will continue to transform humans and other organisms through genetic engineering, leading to a future where neither exists as we know them today.

10. Revolution, Not Reform: The Only Path to Freedom

The only way out is to dispense with the industrial-technological system altogether.

Beyond reform. The industrial system cannot be reformed to reconcile freedom with technology; the only solution is its complete elimination through revolution. This doesn't necessarily mean armed uprising but a radical, fundamental change in society's nature.

Revolutionary commitment. Revolution, despite its greater scope, can be easier than reform under certain conditions because it inspires intense commitment. A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems and create a new world, motivating people to take great risks and make sacrifices, unlike reform movements that offer only partial solutions.

Destroying the system. The primary goal of revolutionaries must be the destruction of modern technology, without being sidetracked by other goals like "social justice" that might tempt them to use technology as a tool. Using technology for any purpose other than its destruction risks falling back into the technological trap.

11. The Danger of Leftism: A Threat to True Revolution

Leftism is in the long run inconsistent with wild nature, with human freedom and with the elimination of modern technology.

Incompatible ideologies. Leftism, with its collectivist nature, seeks to bind the entire world into a unified whole, implying management of nature and human life through advanced technology. This makes it fundamentally inconsistent with the goals of preserving wild nature, human freedom, and eliminating modern technology.

Power-hungry nature. Leftism is driven by a need for collective power, and its adherents are unlikely to abandon technology, as it is a valuable source of such power. Historically, leftists have co-opted movements, then used technology and state power to oppress others once in control, as seen in the Bolshevik and Cuban revolutions.

Totalitarian tendencies. Leftism functions like a quasi-religion, viewing anything contrary to its beliefs as "Sin" and seeking to impose its morality universally. This drive for power, often disguised as humanitarianism, leads to an insatiable pursuit of new social goals, never satisfied, and ultimately totalitarian control over all aspects of life.

12. Two Kinds of Technology: Why Regression is Possible

Organization-dependent technology is technology that depends on large-scale social organization.

Distinguishing technologies. Technology can be categorized into two types: small-scale technology, usable by small communities without external aid (e.g., water wheels, basic smithing), and organization-dependent technology, which relies on large-scale social structures (e.g., refrigerators, modern roads, sanitation systems).

Historical precedent. While small-scale technology rarely regresses, organization-dependent technology does. The fall of the Roman Empire, for instance, saw the loss of advanced aqueducts and road construction techniques, demonstrating that technological regression is possible when the supporting social organization collapses.

Rebuilding challenges. If the industrial system were thoroughly broken, organization-dependent technologies would quickly be lost. Rebuilding them would take centuries, requiring a long process of economic development and social organization. The "enthusiasm for progress" is a modern phenomenon, suggesting that a post-industrial society might not even desire to rebuild such a system.

Last updated: August 25, 2025