Books/Team Human: Difference between revisions
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The author starts off talking about the unintended uses of our inventions. He talks about how various inventions over the centuries that had the potential to revolutionize the way humans connect with each other have instead been used to further isolate humans. The machines that we made to improve productivity are instead being used to replace us. Money which is meant to improve exchange of goods and services is instead used for hoarding of wealth and power. The internet, one of the best communication mediums ever invented is being turned into a personalized version of television carrying all the related evils with it. Social media is isolating individuals and connecting them with brands instead. | The author starts off talking about the unintended uses of our inventions. He talks about how various inventions over the centuries that had the potential to revolutionize the way humans connect with each other have instead been used to further isolate humans. The machines that we made to improve productivity are instead being used to replace us. Money which is meant to improve exchange of goods and services is instead used for hoarding of wealth and power. The internet, one of the best communication mediums ever invented is being turned into a personalized version of television carrying all the related evils with it. Social media is isolating individuals and connecting them with brands instead. | ||
The big evolutionary advantage of homo sapiens over other primates is our cooperation and social bonds, not competition. Darwin's theory of evolution is grossly misinterpreted to justify unethical competitive practices. Evolution has as much cooperation as it has competition. The author talks about a few examples in the natural world that represent cooperation even between non-symbiont species, for example, tall trees and short evergreens. Social norms, imitation of each other, sharing and caring for each other have had a strong part to play in the evolution of our species. | The big evolutionary advantage of homo sapiens over other primates is our cooperation and social bonds, not competition. Darwin's theory of evolution is grossly misinterpreted to justify unethical competitive practices. Evolution has as much cooperation as it has competition. The author talks about a few examples in the natural world that represent cooperation even between non-symbiont species, for example, tall trees and short evergreens. Social norms, imitation of each other, sharing and caring for each other have had a strong part to play in the evolution of our species. | ||
The author revisits some of the discussion on economic models, debt-based currency, corporations as new-age remnants of chartered monopolies of the medieval times etc. which are discussed in one of his earlier books called "Throwing rocks at the Google bus". He then spends a significant portion of the book on the fallacy of trans-humanism, how Silicon Valley treats our very humanity as a problem to be solved and tries to replace human bodies with digital uploads in its quest for immortality. He then turns towards religion and discusses how the lack of concepts like karma and reincarnation in the monotheistic religions of the western world led to people committing unthinkable crimes against humanity with no fear of repercussions in either this life or the next. | |||
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=== Other resources: === | ===Other resources:=== | ||
* [https://www.ted.com/talks/douglas_rushkoff_how_to_be_team_human_in_the_digital_future TED talk] | *[https://www.ted.com/talks/douglas_rushkoff_how_to_be_team_human_in_the_digital_future TED talk] | ||
* [https://rushkoff.com/books/team-human-book/ Book page] on the author's website | *[https://rushkoff.com/books/team-human-book/ Book page] on the author's website | ||
* [https://teamhuman.fm Podcast] | *[https://teamhuman.fm Podcast] | ||
Revision as of 19:11, 24 May 2019
Author: Douglas Rushkoff
Subtitle: Our technologies, markets and cultural institutions - once forces for human connection and expression - now isolate and depress us. It's time to remake society not as individual players but as the team we actually are.
The author starts off talking about the unintended uses of our inventions. He talks about how various inventions over the centuries that had the potential to revolutionize the way humans connect with each other have instead been used to further isolate humans. The machines that we made to improve productivity are instead being used to replace us. Money which is meant to improve exchange of goods and services is instead used for hoarding of wealth and power. The internet, one of the best communication mediums ever invented is being turned into a personalized version of television carrying all the related evils with it. Social media is isolating individuals and connecting them with brands instead.
The big evolutionary advantage of homo sapiens over other primates is our cooperation and social bonds, not competition. Darwin's theory of evolution is grossly misinterpreted to justify unethical competitive practices. Evolution has as much cooperation as it has competition. The author talks about a few examples in the natural world that represent cooperation even between non-symbiont species, for example, tall trees and short evergreens. Social norms, imitation of each other, sharing and caring for each other have had a strong part to play in the evolution of our species.
The author revisits some of the discussion on economic models, debt-based currency, corporations as new-age remnants of chartered monopolies of the medieval times etc. which are discussed in one of his earlier books called "Throwing rocks at the Google bus". He then spends a significant portion of the book on the fallacy of trans-humanism, how Silicon Valley treats our very humanity as a problem to be solved and tries to replace human bodies with digital uploads in its quest for immortality. He then turns towards religion and discusses how the lack of concepts like karma and reincarnation in the monotheistic religions of the western world led to people committing unthinkable crimes against humanity with no fear of repercussions in either this life or the next.
