Anglo-Futurism is a philosophy and cultural movement which takes the modern world, with all its technologies, and places pre-Modern ideas of personhood, family and community over it. It’s not a merger of cultural heritage and modern technology, but uses the values of that older period to act as the restricting guard rails. This ensures modern technology is used for human flourishing within a physical location, helping to build local communities and eventually provide a platform to construct a pathway ‘To The Stars’.
From my Pilgrim review… (I think this has relevance to any AI which lacks one vital element of true humanness - the ability to to pay open attention to what is)
In Prayer the Mind watches over Purity of Heart
“The heart that is constantly guarded, and is not allowed to receive the forms, images, and fantasies of the dark and evil spirits, is conditioned by nature to give birth from within itself to thoughts filled with light. For just as coal engenders a flame, or a flame lights a candle, so will God, who from our baptism dwells in our heart, kindle our mind to contemplation when he finds it free from the winds of evil and protected by the guarding of the intellect.” (St. Hesychios the Priest in the Philokalia).
Modern, materialistic visions of the role of the mind do not consider the vital role of the mind - viz to guard and watch over the heart. The mind’s lesser roles of thinking, planning, remembering, talking, writing etc etc, are seen to be the only functions of the mind. But these are the exact capacities which must be ignored at the time of prayer. Why? Because they all feed the ego self and its desires. The simplicity and openness of prayer requires stillness, silence and simplicity of mind and body. These are the foundations of communion with God in prayer. The way of a pilgrim to be simple and silent is to pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” and then pray it again and again and…” In this way, we are unselfed, and we begin to know the one reality whose centre is everywhere and circumference is nowhere, because she naturally appears.
Many today are materialists. They assume that this is nonsense, and so they speak on another (nonsensical) perspective on the self and reality. They speak of consciousness arising from matter like mist over the lake. It is thoughts (neural events) that assure us that we are conscious, sentient beings. But the assertion that human brain matter generates consciousness is an unproven (and unprovable). It is based on the belief that all that exists is matter - solid, measurable stuff. Sure, brain matter activity is associated with a conscious “me” and my thoughts, emotions and body feelings, but matter is the origin? To assert ‘(brain) matter gives rise to consciousness’ assert a causal relationship is without foundation in empirical science. It is magical thinking. There is no suggested physical mechanisms and no experimental evidence. It as nonsensical as imagining a ‘thinking, feeling person’ will magically emerge from an algorithmic machine, even if it is an artificial learning machine or algorithm. A far more reasonable explanation of the actual experience of consciousness is to assert that consciousness gives rise to matter and when we learn, with Pilgrim, to pray constantly we encounter, in our experience, a much deeper reality - “everything around me appeared wondrous to me and inspired me with love for and gratitude to God. People, trees, plants, and animals—I felt a kinship with them all and discovered how each bore the seal of the Name of Jesus Christ.”
Thats why the mind must descend to the heart. Consider what happens when the heart if forced up into the mind: - the mind’s priority of thought is given precedence over love, the priority of the heart. Wisdom forsakes the mind and it cannot recognise the demons of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed and sloth which emerge from deep within the human person. The ‘mind of the flesh’ then sees these demons not as sins to be confessed and repented of, but as goods to be celebrated as desirable to satisfy the ego self. However, the way of constant prayer allows the mind to descend to the heart. When the mind has descended to the heart, it is ruled by wisdom, and it is able to recognises and repel the demons of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed and sloth. So, constant prayer “… is an impregnable wall for all who are labouring under the attacks of demons, as well as an impenetrable coat of mail and a strong shield” (Cassian) against the wiles of the Satan. The mind now has found its true role - watchfulness, discernment and wisdom.
This concept is great, but AI is not something that will be controlled by nice ideas about "humans being the most important beings on the planet."
The name tells it all.
It claims that it is 1) Artificial and 2) Intelligence
It is neither.
It is made by humans and it has no intelligence of it's own.
By embracing it in any way you are giving in to the "New Speak" of those who want to control the world, as you are agreeing with its own definition, which is a lie.
We should call it what it is BDC: Big Dumb Computer.
AI is one of the most powerful totalitarian tools for controlling people.
AI is nothing more than a major step in controlling how people think and act, as it tells you information that you don't need to think about, or can't actually prove if it is valid or not, upon which you act.
We should not be writing protocols on AI use but be telling people to think about what they are doing, and if they can't prove the data to be correct then DON'T DO IT!!!!!
AI is a black box, not a magic black box as it is promoted as.
It is Pandora's Box from which all the evils of the world will be promoted to gullible and stupid people who are unwilling to think.
Teach people to think, not to use AI to think for them.
I agree. Though there are some AI or learning programmes which have been useful. But you are right, it can be easily used for nefarious purposes and therefore having strict guidelines, rooted in a local community, would limit its use and misuse.
Culture is above politics. Anglo-Futurism is a cultural concept. So those living in that culture will not accept AI unless it is beneficial for their particular locality.
Government guidelines are pretty useless, and normally only work successfully if they reflect what is already present in the culture. For example, the 19th Century Factory Act only reflected what 90% of factory owners already providing to their employees.
1) The above priotization can't happen within a consumerist capitalist system. We were already getting away from community and meeting together for over a century, before AI was a thing, and before online was a thing - precisely so we can be better, interchangeable, consumer units, without culture and without political concerns and vigilance.
2) Technology is by its very nature alienating - it has its own telos. Developing technology to the point of getting "to the stars" is not just a goal that can be pursued independently of whether we have a community or not. It's in direct opposition with community (for example it involves community-breaking concentration of economic, industrial, and technical power, high tech factories and industrial discipline, the unnatural dependence on rigid time schedules, worker alienation with extremely high separation of labour, and so on).
So to combine them is a little like considering how to combine chastity and purity of thought, while participating in orgies and working in the porn industry.
Anglo-Futurism was a phrase popularised by several articles published last year, one in Unherd.
There were also some fun memes too with English people drinking tea on Mars.
Benjamin De Rebel took this forward and is developing the idea. And I’m filling in some of the detail too.
‘Futurism’ because it’s a Futurist movement. Taking cultural ideas and ‘mixing’ them with current day technology.
‘Anglo’ because we are using the cultural values of pre-Modern England, which all Anglo nation (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other former British colonies) have a connection with.
It’s not a nationalist movement, but a cultural movement which is open to all people who want to adopt this way of using technology for the flourish of local communities.
We need a new cultural movement. Capitalism isn’t the problem, it’s a deeper problem of culture.
Technology can be alienating, which is why prioritising the community is important. Anglo-Futurism places strict guidelines on technology.
You need a community to successfully go ‘To The Stars’. Neil Armstrong didn’t do it by himself, not only did he have NASA supporting him, but he had a whole culture behind him.
I don’t agree with your last bit, I would say it’s more like a monogamous marriage.
From my Pilgrim review… (I think this has relevance to any AI which lacks one vital element of true humanness - the ability to to pay open attention to what is)
In Prayer the Mind watches over Purity of Heart
“The heart that is constantly guarded, and is not allowed to receive the forms, images, and fantasies of the dark and evil spirits, is conditioned by nature to give birth from within itself to thoughts filled with light. For just as coal engenders a flame, or a flame lights a candle, so will God, who from our baptism dwells in our heart, kindle our mind to contemplation when he finds it free from the winds of evil and protected by the guarding of the intellect.” (St. Hesychios the Priest in the Philokalia).
Modern, materialistic visions of the role of the mind do not consider the vital role of the mind - viz to guard and watch over the heart. The mind’s lesser roles of thinking, planning, remembering, talking, writing etc etc, are seen to be the only functions of the mind. But these are the exact capacities which must be ignored at the time of prayer. Why? Because they all feed the ego self and its desires. The simplicity and openness of prayer requires stillness, silence and simplicity of mind and body. These are the foundations of communion with God in prayer. The way of a pilgrim to be simple and silent is to pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” and then pray it again and again and…” In this way, we are unselfed, and we begin to know the one reality whose centre is everywhere and circumference is nowhere, because she naturally appears.
Many today are materialists. They assume that this is nonsense, and so they speak on another (nonsensical) perspective on the self and reality. They speak of consciousness arising from matter like mist over the lake. It is thoughts (neural events) that assure us that we are conscious, sentient beings. But the assertion that human brain matter generates consciousness is an unproven (and unprovable). It is based on the belief that all that exists is matter - solid, measurable stuff. Sure, brain matter activity is associated with a conscious “me” and my thoughts, emotions and body feelings, but matter is the origin? To assert ‘(brain) matter gives rise to consciousness’ assert a causal relationship is without foundation in empirical science. It is magical thinking. There is no suggested physical mechanisms and no experimental evidence. It as nonsensical as imagining a ‘thinking, feeling person’ will magically emerge from an algorithmic machine, even if it is an artificial learning machine or algorithm. A far more reasonable explanation of the actual experience of consciousness is to assert that consciousness gives rise to matter and when we learn, with Pilgrim, to pray constantly we encounter, in our experience, a much deeper reality - “everything around me appeared wondrous to me and inspired me with love for and gratitude to God. People, trees, plants, and animals—I felt a kinship with them all and discovered how each bore the seal of the Name of Jesus Christ.”
Thats why the mind must descend to the heart. Consider what happens when the heart if forced up into the mind: - the mind’s priority of thought is given precedence over love, the priority of the heart. Wisdom forsakes the mind and it cannot recognise the demons of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed and sloth which emerge from deep within the human person. The ‘mind of the flesh’ then sees these demons not as sins to be confessed and repented of, but as goods to be celebrated as desirable to satisfy the ego self. However, the way of constant prayer allows the mind to descend to the heart. When the mind has descended to the heart, it is ruled by wisdom, and it is able to recognises and repel the demons of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed and sloth. So, constant prayer “… is an impregnable wall for all who are labouring under the attacks of demons, as well as an impenetrable coat of mail and a strong shield” (Cassian) against the wiles of the Satan. The mind now has found its true role - watchfulness, discernment and wisdom.
Hi BA
This concept is great, but AI is not something that will be controlled by nice ideas about "humans being the most important beings on the planet."
The name tells it all.
It claims that it is 1) Artificial and 2) Intelligence
It is neither.
It is made by humans and it has no intelligence of it's own.
By embracing it in any way you are giving in to the "New Speak" of those who want to control the world, as you are agreeing with its own definition, which is a lie.
We should call it what it is BDC: Big Dumb Computer.
AI is one of the most powerful totalitarian tools for controlling people.
AI is nothing more than a major step in controlling how people think and act, as it tells you information that you don't need to think about, or can't actually prove if it is valid or not, upon which you act.
We should not be writing protocols on AI use but be telling people to think about what they are doing, and if they can't prove the data to be correct then DON'T DO IT!!!!!
AI is a black box, not a magic black box as it is promoted as.
It is Pandora's Box from which all the evils of the world will be promoted to gullible and stupid people who are unwilling to think.
Teach people to think, not to use AI to think for them.
I agree. Though there are some AI or learning programmes which have been useful. But you are right, it can be easily used for nefarious purposes and therefore having strict guidelines, rooted in a local community, would limit its use and misuse.
Thanks BA
Having worked in government for many years I have no faith in guidelines
They take a long time to write, and waste a lot of good peoples time in doing so.
They are ignored by those who want to do what they do, and then the guidelines are changed to accommodate these "new ways of doing things"
By writing guidelines all you do is give it validity and waste your time.
It should be 'outed' as what it is: a lie and a tool for control.
Maybe guidelines is a bad choice of phrasing.
Culture is above politics. Anglo-Futurism is a cultural concept. So those living in that culture will not accept AI unless it is beneficial for their particular locality.
Government guidelines are pretty useless, and normally only work successfully if they reflect what is already present in the culture. For example, the 19th Century Factory Act only reflected what 90% of factory owners already providing to their employees.
Two main problems with this:
1) The above priotization can't happen within a consumerist capitalist system. We were already getting away from community and meeting together for over a century, before AI was a thing, and before online was a thing - precisely so we can be better, interchangeable, consumer units, without culture and without political concerns and vigilance.
2) Technology is by its very nature alienating - it has its own telos. Developing technology to the point of getting "to the stars" is not just a goal that can be pursued independently of whether we have a community or not. It's in direct opposition with community (for example it involves community-breaking concentration of economic, industrial, and technical power, high tech factories and industrial discipline, the unnatural dependence on rigid time schedules, worker alienation with extremely high separation of labour, and so on).
So to combine them is a little like considering how to combine chastity and purity of thought, while participating in orgies and working in the porn industry.
The only flaw that I see to this hypothesis is human GREED . If we could resolve that first, then I see a beautiful world unfolding.
Sadly, Anglo-Futurism can’t absolve people’s selfishness🙂
But it can provide a framework to curb the excesses of technology and direct it towards helping communities grow together.
Why “Anglo-Futurism”?
Anglo-Futurism was a phrase popularised by several articles published last year, one in Unherd.
There were also some fun memes too with English people drinking tea on Mars.
Benjamin De Rebel took this forward and is developing the idea. And I’m filling in some of the detail too.
‘Futurism’ because it’s a Futurist movement. Taking cultural ideas and ‘mixing’ them with current day technology.
‘Anglo’ because we are using the cultural values of pre-Modern England, which all Anglo nation (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other former British colonies) have a connection with.
It’s not a nationalist movement, but a cultural movement which is open to all people who want to adopt this way of using technology for the flourish of local communities.
We need a new cultural movement. Capitalism isn’t the problem, it’s a deeper problem of culture.
Technology can be alienating, which is why prioritising the community is important. Anglo-Futurism places strict guidelines on technology.
You need a community to successfully go ‘To The Stars’. Neil Armstrong didn’t do it by himself, not only did he have NASA supporting him, but he had a whole culture behind him.
I don’t agree with your last bit, I would say it’s more like a monogamous marriage.