In his book, Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari paints a picture of the future of humanity. He argues that we are moving from a world where the main goal was to survive to a world where the main goal is to thrive. In order to do this, we must first understand our past. Harari goes over the history of humanity, starting with the apes and moving through the various stages of human development. He covers topics such as religion, war, and technology. Along the way, he provides insights into what has made us successful as a species and what challenges we face as we move into the future.
“We do not become satisfied by leading a peaceful and prosperous existence. Rather, we become satisfied when reality matches our expectations. The bad news is that as conditions improve, expectations balloon.”
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One of the things I found most fascinating about Homo Deus is Harari’s discussion of religion. He argues that religion is not just something that gives people comfort in times of trouble; it is also a tool that has been used throughout history to control people. For example, he cites the Crusades as an example of how religion can be used to motivate people to fight and die for a cause. He also discusses how religious leaders have used their power to control populations through fear. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything Harari says about religion, I found his arguments to be thought-provoking and well-researched.
“In 2012 about 56 million people died throughout the world; 620,000 of them died due to human violence (war killed 120,000 people, and crime killed another 500,000). In contrast, 800,000 committed suicide, and 1.5 million died of diabetes. Sugar is now more dangerous than gunpowder.”
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Harari also addresses the issue of war. He argues that war has been a major driving force behind humanity’s progress. While I don’t like the idea of war being a necessary evil, I can see how it has pushed us to develop new technologies and ways of thinking. For example, he cites the development of guns and bombs as a direct result of war. Without war, there would be no need for these weapons and no incentive to develop them.
Finally, Harari discusses technology and its impact on humanity. He argues that technology is changing us as a species and that we are becoming more reliant on machines than ever before. He predicts that soon we will be able to create artificial intelligence that surpasses our own intelligence. This could lead to some interesting consequences for humanity, both good and bad.
“To attain real happiness, humans need to slow down the pursuit of pleasant sensations, not accelerate it.”
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Homo Deus is an interesting book that provides insights into the past, present, and future of humanity. While I don’t agree with everything Harari says, I found his arguments to be well-researched and thought-provoking. If you’re interested in learning more about who we are as a species and where we might be headed, I recommend checking out this book. Leave your thoughts below in comments below.
“Centuries ago human knowledge increased slowly, so politics and economics changed at a leisurely pace too. Today our knowledge is increasing at breakneck speed, and theoretically we should understand the world better and better. But the very opposite is happening. Our new-found knowledge leads to faster economic, social and political changes; in an attempt to understand what is happening, we accelerate the accumulation of knowledge, which leads only to faster and greater upheavals. Consequently we are less and less able to make sense of the present or forecast the future. In 1016 it was relatively easy to predict how Europe would look in 1050. Sure, dynasties might fall, unknown raiders might invade, and natural disasters might strike; yet it was clear that in 1050 Europe would still be ruled by kings and priests, that it would be an agricultural society, that most of its inhabitants would be peasants, and that it would continue to suffer greatly from famines, plagues and wars. In contrast, in 2016 we have no idea how Europe will look in 2050. We cannot say what kind of political system it will have, how its job market will be structured, or even what kind of bodies its inhabitants will possess.”
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