too funny not to re-post...

Here's a humorous, modified-for-2012 version of a quote by Pascal I recently discovered on the Faith and Theology blog:

"All of man's misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly without an iPad."

Addendum: Insert iPhone, Blackberry, or whatever else you want... the point is, many of us are losing the ability to simply enjoy our lives with simplicity.  I'm not against technology at all, but I do think it has profoundly affected - especially in the last 50 years or so - our levels of comfortability with ourselves as biological, spatio-temporally limited, finite, human beings.  Human beings are, it appears (at least in the Western 'first-world'), less content than ever with ourselves as humans.

In fact, given current thinking on transhumanism and post-humanism, bioethics, etc, I think a strong argument could be made that one of the primary uses of technology has become precisely the attempt to change, 'fix', or transcend ourselves as humans.  Essentially, humanity has, in many ways, become determined to use technology to overcome what we dislike about our human-ness.  In that sense, technology has become, for many, a very real religious force.

No wonder some young people are claiming that the internet is their religion.  I believe the quote is "humanity connected is God."  While I disagree with that statement theologically, the point here is simply this: given what we appear to be using technology to accomplish, I believe this quote may someday be nonsensical.

What I mean is this: if we get to the point where technology really becomes the means by which we are able to remove all of those aspects of our humanity that we dislike, it seems very difficult to determine whether or not what remains really is still 'humanity'.  So, if technology, including the internet, is slowly changing humanity into something else, something post-human, then it makes no sense to say that humanity connected is God, because there is no 'humanity' to connect.  Whatever is connecting at that point, it will be something else.

Some people, like Ray Kurzweil, seem to welcome that idea.  Me, I'm not so optimistic.  Obviously, it goes against my own theological beliefs.  But aside from that, it's hard for me to be excited about any trend that seems to anticipate the demise of my species.  I suppose there are arguments supporting such an idea, but I can't help wonder whether those who are excited about the idea of a post-human world are naively assuming that they will somehow have a role to play in that world.

Which, of course, is completely illogical.  There is no reason to think the post-human world will privilege computer technicians or quantum physicists over anyone else.  Humanity will have fulfilled its evolutionary role and will most likely become extinct, or will be used by higher species in a manner somewhat similar to the way we currently employ other animals.  Call me crazy, but that's not really a future I feel excited about.