Lao Tzu, the first technocritic

Excerpt from Confronting Technology (2020), a book by the philosopher David Skrbina that lists various writings on technology throughout history. Here we discover that technocriticism is at least as old as civilization.

The oldest known criticism of technology is found in a text from ancient China, the Tao-tö-king (or the Lao-tzu). This collection of proverbs and aphorisms is historically attributed to the venerable sage Lao-tzu, who is said to have been a contemporary of Confucius, although older than him — which places him at the beginning of the 6th century.^E century BC The Tao-tö-king is one of the great classics of ancient China, and this text is the core of the philosophical system called Taoism. Its title means “Book of the Way (Tao) and of Virtue (tö). The Way (or Tao) is the ultimate creative force in the cosmos, and what every good Taoist seeks to align himself with. Achieving a life in harmony with the Tao is the path of virtue.

Taoism promotes a simple life, free from the frivolities and complexities of civilization. Luxury goods — those things that “lead to crime” — are more than useless; they are virtually an obstacle to the pursuit of a harmonious life. “Rare objects encourage crime/The saint, in his government, takes care of the belly and not the eye. He dismisses the that in favor of the this.” (I.12). Thus, the wise man works to free himself from the desire for material and human devices. He is looking for the simple life.

Artificial things are the result of human ingenuity and its hybris [its excess]. The Tao path is simple and natural, and therefore requires no complex analytical thinking, creation or human construction. Ingenuity leads to innovation, which results in luxury and the corrupting devices of society and obstacles to free and sincere living:

“Proscribe industry and profit,/there will be no more bandits in the country! ” (I.19)

“The appearance of intelligence/was accompanied by artificiality.” (I. 18)

“Blindness leads to unhappiness.” (I.16)

“Give up studying to be carefree.” (I.20)

The “study”, or technical knowledge, is particularly targeted. It clearly leads those who practice it on the wrong path, away from the Tao:

“Whoever devotes himself to study increases day by day,

Those who learn the Tao are dwindling day after day.

It is dwindling, dwindling until it no longer does anything.

He who does nothing can do everything.” (II. 48)

The study leads to “tools” and then to technology, which is the source of great concern for a well-functioning society. Tools alter and disrupt social and natural order. The more the tools are refined, the more the State becomes unstable and vacillating; it then enters dark times, into a state of “disorder”:

“The more good tools you have,

The more disorder occurs.” (II. 57)

Here is a prescient, poetic, and disastrous vision of technology — over 2,000 years in advance.

Given this warning, the wise man knows how to identify when he has had enough; he knows when Stop.

“Knowing the limits prevents danger.” (I.32)

“Who knows how to stop early avoids perils,

And live a long life.” (II. 44)