The technosphere, our agency, our planet
What can we do, what should we do?
The common wisdom is that capitalism has replaced feudalism as a distinct institutional regime that integrates the economy, society, and political power into a coherent societal order. However, I will argue that we still live within a form of feudalism, specifically in the transformed status of modern serfdom: The relationship between employer and employee. This …
Continue reading "Has capitalism truly taken the reins from feudalism?"
There are significant expectations that AI can reach a level of general intelligence that surpasses human capabilities. However, I will demonstrate that this is not possible for fundamental reasons. It's important to note that I am specifically referring to current approaches to AI, particularly large language models (LLMs). It's possible that radically different approaches could …
Continue reading "The limits of knowledge in AI: Why AI can never achieve human intelligence"
A common view is that Karl Marx did not propose a specific vision of a communist utopia, which allowed for significant flexibility in how real-world socialist revolutions did and might shape socialism and the eventual transition to communism. This lack of a concrete vision often resulted in disastrous outcomes, with few successful examples. China is …
Sven Beckert’s book “Capitalism: A Global History” is filled with valuable insights. I was particularly impressed by his analysis of slavery. While it's well-known that slavery played a crucial role in colonialism and the social and economic structures of the United States after its founding, the extent and depth of the connection between capitalism and …
Continue reading "Slavery, technosphere evolution and the future of human freedom"
In his classic work “The Nature of Thermodynamics” (1943), P. W. Bridgman described thermodynamics as a branch of physics that carries a distinct human element. His operational approach to the philosophy of science emphasises grounding physical theories in human activities, such as controlled experiments conducted by scientists. Classical thermodynamics highlights this aspect by focusing on …
Continue reading "Towards a Pragmatist Thermodynamics of Technosphere Evolution"
The newspaper The Economist recently published an interesting article summarising current debates and visions regarding the impact of AI on economic growth. One school of thought, popular among the titans of Silicon Valley, suggests that AI ushers in an era of explosive growth. This perspective is rooted in the Western conviction, maintained since the Enlightenment, …
Continue reading "On the thermodynamic limits to AI-powered economic growth"
This post has been published on the COEVOLVERS website and is co-authored by Simo Sarkki. Nature-based Solutions (NBS) promise numerous social, environmental, and economic benefits inspired and supported by nature. However, as the literature on NBS has evolved, more critical perspectives have emerged, emphasizing that naive assumptions about universal co-benefits must be abandoned. Nonetheless, the …
Francis Fukuyama’s book “The End of History and the Last Man” is often naively viewed as a premature celebration of the historical victory of liberal democracy and capitalism over all alternative forms of political organisation in large-scale, globally connected societies. However, this interpretation reflects a serious misunderstanding of Fukuyama’s erudite work on global history. He …
Continue reading "Beyond the end of human history: Towards the Confucian Anthropocene?"
In the April 4, 2025 issue of “The Economist,” columnist "Free Exchange" provides a brief account of and reflection on a place that can be considered a “Degrowth Lab.” This is the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, where approximately 52000 people have lived since 1994. The population is steadily increasing, with around 300 new residents …
During the height of critical theory in the 1960s, political aesthetics garnered significant attention. A key concept was earlier articulated in Ernst Bloch’s exploration of utopia, namely that the arts serve as a space for examining objective possibilities, thereby inspiring political action in the real world. Even earlier, these ideas were also expanded upon in …
Continue reading "Friedrich Schiller’s theory of aesthetic education and more-than-human play"
The technosphere, our agency, our planet 
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