_Technological Slavery: The collected writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a. k. a. “The Unabomber”_ (2010, Feral House Press) consists of the collected writings of Ted Kaczynski (the convicted Unabomber) regarding the nature of technological and industrial society and his efforts to combat it through revolutionary terrorism. This book includes the manifesto released by Kaczynski (as “FC”) as well as various writings and letters of Kaczynski concerning technological progress and the role of “wild nature”. The book is introduced an edited by the philosopher David Skrbina who comments on the theories of Kaczynki concerning the decline of technological and industrial society. Kaczynski was a mathematics professor who left his career to pursue a solitary existence in Montana. Kaczynski was to develop a theory of technological society and his love for nature led him to engage in acts of terrorism. For this he was arrested and is now in prison.
The basic arguments presented in this book concern the role of technological and industrial society and the harm it has caused to both mankind and “wild nature”. Kaczynski sees technological society as a “System” designed to oppress the individual. Kaczynski considers some of the harmful psychological effects of technological society as well as the role of “over-civilized” people and the superficiality of modern leftism and political correctness. Kaczynski examines the theories of anarcho-primitivists concerning the role of primitive humans but finds their theories to be marred by modern day political correctness. Kaczynski considers the role of revolution and examines the history of democracy as well as the role of the Russian Bolsheviks and the triumph of Western democracy in the two world wars. Kaczynski examines the harmful effects of modern day advertising and the role of surrogate activities in combating the “power process”. Kaczynski regards modern technological society to be unfulfilling and thus sees the need for individuals to rebel against it.
The book includes the manifesto “Industrial Society and Its Future” as well as several of the writings of Kaczynski and his letters to David Skribina and others. Kaczynski comments on the anarcho-primitivist movement explaining how modern anthropologists falsely believe that primitive societies were politically correct (in terms of gender equality, more time for leisure, and environmental soundness). Kaczynski offers several goals for revolution and explains why he left his career in math to go live in the wilderness. One thing I could not understand is why he resorted to terrorism as he did. His bombs sent to computer programmers and others were largely ineffective for his goals, resulted in unnecessary killing, and ended him up in prison. It makes little sense why someone of his intelligence would resort to such horrific and pointless measures.
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