As far back in history as we can see, humans have preferred their technologies advanced and their philosophies primitive. This is because advanced technologies reduce our workload, while advanced philosophies increase our workload.
Advanced philosophies have always demanded that the reader broaden their view of the world, and that has always required that our mind do more work. Yet new and more advanced technologies rarely broaden our view of the world and force our mind to do work. New technologies just update an old tool, which only demands a brief learning curve.
What has changed recently about new technologies is the invention of computers, smartphones and the internet. These new technologies are broadening our view of the world and making our mind do work. Of course, some people don’t use the internet to broaden their understanding of life. Instead, many people just look at porn, conspiracy theories, and silly videos.
Modern technologies have threatened the traditional religions, philosophies and ideologies because they allow people to transfer knowledge and ideas outside the established institutions that have historically controlled our beliefs. Unfortunately, even with unfettered access to ideas, our technologies are still more advanced than our philosophies. This is because our technologies can be advanced by others, while we must each advance our own philosophy and understanding of life.
No one but you can develop your philosophy, religion, or intellect. However, our technologies can be created by others. In fact, our world is full of people who are competing to develop new technologies.
Sadly, few people are eager to develop our religions, philosophies, or intellects. Yet most people are eager to create new technologies. This is why our world is so dangerous: there are more advanced weapons being developed than advanced philosophies.
As far back as Socrates, humans have shown a disdain for philosophers and the philosophical work they ask people to do. This preference for advanced technologies over advanced philosophies is still enforced by some governments, such as those in Russia, China, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, etc.
Anyone who critiques or tries to advance the religious and philosophical beliefs in the above countries would be risking their life, and yet, in those same countries, physical scientists who work to develop new weapons and technologies are well taken care of.
Physical scientists have always been protected and financially rewarded, while social scientists have always been ignored or persecuted because physical scientists give the masses and the rulers what they want: physical things that reduce their workload, while philosophers and social scientists give the masses and the rulers what they don’t want: ideas that make their minds work.
If Socrates had been a metalsmith who developed a better plow, kettle or cart, then he would have been well taken care of because everyone would have seen the advantages of possessing a more advanced plow, kettle or cart. But Socrates wasn’t offering his fellow citizens a more advanced technology; he was offering them a more advanced philosophy. Unfortunately, few of his countrymen could see the benefits of contemplating or embracing his more advanced ideas.
As much as we like to depict humans as seekers of wisdom, history clearly shows that most people would rather not gain a better understanding of life. Galileo also illustrates this fact as he was also threatened with torture and death for offering people a better understanding of life.
Unlike Socrates, Galileo presented his society with a dilemma because he was primarily a physical scientist who was being financially rewarded for improving the gunner’s compass and telescope. In fact, Galileo is said to be the first military contractor. His value to society as a physical scientist was a problem because intelligent rulers do not kill their own physical scientists.
Galileo became a problem when he crossed the line between physical scientist and social scientist by looking through his more powerful telescope and offering people a more advanced understanding of the universe. Unfortunately, most people did not want to see how complex the universe really was. Instead, most people were content with the simplistic belief that everything revolved around the Earth.
If Galileo had focused only on the physical sciences and if he was only concerned with improving the gunner’s compass and telescope, then Galileo would have lived a quiet, comfortable life. On the other hand, if Galileo had not been a physical scientist, if he had only been a critic of society’s primitive beliefs, then he would have been immediately put to death, like all the heretics before and after him. But Galileo was both a physical scientist and a social critic, so Galileo elicited both love and hate.
Just like today’s dictators, the inquisition was wise enough to know that it would be foolish to kill a physical scientist who was helping to advance their military. The solution was to keep Galileo alive, but under house-arrest. As long as Galileo recanted his beliefs about how complex our universe really was, he would be safe.
War and military spending has always driven the advancement of technology. Yet the average consumer also desires new and more advanced technologies. Unfortunately, more advanced philosophies have never been desirable because they ask us to examine, contemplate and update our present beliefs.
Philosophers like Galileo and Socrates ask their fellow citizens to acknowledge how complex and challenging our universe really is. Unfortunately, most people would rather keep their beliefs simple, shallow, and superficial because that requires less work and less courage.
Imagine if each person had to develop their own cell phone and their own weapons, just as we each have to develop our own intellect. If we lived in such a world, then most people would not own a phone and their weapons would be sticks and stones. Sadly, we live in a world that is full of fools who possess sophisticated weapons because all that anyone needs to acquire the latest weaponry is money or a credit card.
Access to money and credit offers instant access to an AK47. But it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, you must still do considerable work to develop your intellect, philosophy and understanding of life. Because developing one’s intellect takes considerable work, most people stop developing their intellect, philosophy and understanding of life in their teens or early twenties.
Although few people see the benefit of working to acquire a more accurate understanding of life, humans are influenced by the courage of others, so the more we work to advance our understanding of life, the easier and less frightening it will be for others to also advance their understanding of life.