The Technological Tide

Instinct, Intellect, and Dasein

super computer, in the woods, old farm, painting detailed

“The fight against Nature is hopeless and yet — it will be fought out to the bitter end.”

― Oswald Spengler¹

Growing up in a rural community, nature was an ever-present companion. Regular encounters with the ebb and flow of life, from its wondrous genesis to its inevitable culmination, provided a profound backdrop for comprehending life's essence in its most unfiltered form. The agony and glory of birth were witnessed, while the inevitability of death was reluctantly acknowledged. Yet, the relentless tide of urbanization has confined the vast majority of people to an endless sprawl of concrete and asphalt. Amidst this artificial milieu, humanity finds itself severed from its roots, and life transforms into a mere semblance of its former self, a distant echo of what once was.

Without the frequent interaction with nature provided by rural and agricultural life, man relinquishes his understanding of the natural world. He becomes coddled and sheltered by an artificial urban existence that systematizes life and reduces the world to abstract concepts; birth becomes choice, a secondary function of the sexual faculty, relationships become transactional, and food is divorced from its source until meat stands entirely free from its true cost. In this urban domain, the instinct atrophies, and man, being of two natures—rational and instinctual—forsakes one at the cost of the other.

In The Decline and Fall of the West Oswald Spengler contrasted two fundamental aspects of human behavior: the instinctual and the intellectual². For Spangler Instinct represents the more primal, intuitive, and deeply ingrained aspects of human nature, while intellect refers to the rational, analytical, and conscious thinking capacities. According to Spengler, during the early stages of a culture's development, instincts play a dominant role in shaping its values, beliefs, and actions. However, as a culture reaches its peak and transitions into its decline, intellect gains prominence. This shift from an instinctual to an intellectual focus is seen as a characteristic of the later stages of civilization, as rationality and analytical thinking become more emphasized.

We can best understand the relationship between instinct and intellect as analogous to space and time. Consider the earth at the dawn of a new year when the planet begins its orbit around the sun, the year counts down (time) while the distance the earth travels (space) increases. In this sense, we can say that time gives birth to space and space gives death to time. When a civilization is born, instinct (time) is its driving force, but as it grows, its intellect (space) increases and gradually surpasses, and in the end, completely overshadows the instinct.

It is in the later phase of this cycle that man becomes hyper-rational. To paraphrase Nietzsche, “The Greeks had two choices: become absurdly rational or die.” This is because, in the late stages of civilization, people can no longer call back to their instinct, in the same way, a naval captain of today could not cross the Atlantic with a ship from the 18th century. The old ways are lost, and to return to them would be death.

It is when instinct and intellect are at equilibrium that man is at his best, open to his intuition and guided by the rational mind. Without this balance, man loses sight of reality, nature is a force to be tamed and exploited and life becomes a problem that requires a solution, Man commences to destroying himself and his world. He builds great machines that shelter him from nature eventually cutting himself off from God and meaning, he becomes the architect of his own demise.

This self-destructive drive is couched in the langue of progress, and this “progress” is what French philosopher, and sociologist, Jacques Ellul called “Technique”. In his influential work, The Technological Society, Ellul analyzed the pervasive influence of technology in our modern world, arguing that it goes far beyond mere tools and machinery.³ For Elull technique refers to the whole process of applying scientific knowledge and rational methods to achieve a specific objective. It involves the organization, efficiency, and rationalization of human activities through the use of technology. Technique shapes our behaviors, values, and ways of thinking, influencing our entire social and cultural context.

In simple terms, technique is a compulsive need to maximize efficiency, to constantly improve no matter the cost. This is in stark contrast to how medieval man saw the world; it never occurred to him to constantly improve. When medieval man manufactured a knife, he was satisfied as long as the knife did its job; he did not think to make it sharper or lighter without reason. On the other hand, modern man pushes the limits without ceasing. Our doctors pursue womb transplants and sex change surgeries, while Silicon Valley drives head-first toward automation and AI. They do this not because there is a need, but because the compulsive technique drives them. Technique will not be satisfied; it will not be stopped.

“Technique has penetrated the deepest recesses of the human being. The machine tends not only to create a new human environment, but also to modify man's very essence. The milieu in which he lives is no longer his. He must adapt himself, as though the world were new, to a universe for which he was not created. He was made to go six kilometers an hour, and he goes a thousand. He was made to eat when he was hungry and to sleep when he was sleepy; instead, he obeys a clock. He was made to have contact with living things, and he lives in a world of stone. He was created with a certain essential unity, and he is fragmented by all the forces of the modern world.”

― Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society

Ellul expressed great concern about the dehumanizing effects of technological progress, as it engulfs various aspects of life and leaves little room for genuine human agency. Technique and Technology create Frankensteinesque monsters, it permits us to divorce ourselves from human connection. This loss of connection can be seen all around us. We are no longer required to leave our homes, food, clothing cars all of it can be purchased from a couch, limited human interaction required. Our society operates like a modem where we blindly send signals back and forth. The face-to-face interchange that was once necessary for the buying and selling of goods, is no more.

The technology and technique that erode our social bonds also damage who we are. Martin Heidegger echoed these concerns about technology and its ability to alienate man from himself, from being. In The Question Concerning Technology, Heidegger argued that technology can alienate us from the world and ourselves.⁴ He was concerned that the rapid advancement of technology would lead to a detachment from nature, a loss of connection with others, and a loss of self-understanding. Heidegger worried that technology's dominant mode of revealing could lead to a loss of our authentic relationship with Dasein (being).

“Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we passionately affirm or deny it. But we are delivered over to it in the worst possible way when we regard it as something neutral; for this conception of it, to which today we particularly pay homage, makes us utterly blind to the essence of technology.”

-Martin Heidegger

A quick recap of Heidegger’s concept of Dasein may be necessary. Dasein is a German word that translates to "being there" or "existence." In Heidegger's philosophy, Dasein refers to human existence and the unique way in which humans experience the world. Heidegger sought to understand the fundamental nature of human existence, questioning the meaning of being and how humans relate to the world they inhabit.

Dasein is characterized by its self-awareness, the ability to question its own existence and the capacity for understanding itself and its world. Heidegger emphasized Dasein in a temporal context, existing within the past, present, and future. He also emphasized the importance of understanding Dasein's embeddedness in the world, its practical engagements, and its relationship with other beings.

The exploration of Dasein's existence and its relationship to time, world, and Being is central to Heidegger's phenomenological inquiry in "Being and Time."⁵ By examining the nature of Dasein, Heidegger aimed to shed light on the fundamental questions of human existence.

Heidegger understood the proclivity of technology to reduce everything to resources and instrumental value, that it would obscure the deeper meaning and mystery of existence.

Heidegger's concern with technology was not a rejection of technological progress per se, but rather an invitation to critically reflect on its impact and to consider its place within the larger context of human existence. He encouraged a form of meditative thinking, where individuals contemplate their relationship with technology and its implications for authentic living (Dasein). He was optimistic be suggested that by understanding the potential hindrances, we can strive for a more balanced and mindful approach to technology's role in our lives.

The complex interplay between nature, technology, instinct, and intellect shapes our existence in profound ways. As urbanization and technology continue to dominate modern life, we are losing our authentic connection to the natural world, to Dasein, and to God. However, by understanding and reflecting on our relationship with technology, we can in our own lives search for the equilibrium of instinct and intellect, and we can regain a more meaningful and harmonious way of living. We cannot stop the tide of technique and progress, but by embracing the essence of Dasein, our unique being-there, it may be possible that we achieve a balanced coexistence with nature and technology, allowing us to navigate the challenges of the modern world while preserving the richness of our human experience.

-TJS

1. Spengler, Oswald. Man and Technics: A Contribution to a Philosophy of Life. United Kingdom, Knopf, 1932.

2. Spengler, Oswald, et al. The Decline of the West. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1991

3. Ellul, Jacques. The technological society. United States, Knopf, 1964.

4. Heidegger, Martin. The Question Concerning Technology, and Other Essays. United States, Garland Pub., 1977.

5. Heidegger, Martin, and Macquarrie, John. Being and Time. United Kingdom, HarperCollins, 2008.