#1962

Mentioned in 16 episodes

Technopoly

The Surrender of Culture to Technology

Book • 1991

Author

Nail Postman

In 'Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology', Neil Postman argues that modern society has transitioned into a 'technopoly', where technology is not just a tool but the central organizing principle of culture.

Postman contends that this shift has radical consequences for politics, art, education, intelligence, and truth.

He describes how technology has become the primary source of moral authority, leading to a culture that values efficiency and technical calculation over human judgment.

The book critiques the pervasive influence of technology on all aspects of life, highlighting issues such as the reduction of truth to data, the dominance of experts in all fields, and the erosion of traditional moral and cultural frameworks.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 16 episodes

Mentioned by

Tristan Harris

as a book exploring the surrender of culture to technology.

347 snips

The Man Who Predicted the Downfall of Thinking

Mentioned by

Cal Newport

as an author whose work influenced his thinking.

103 snips

Ep. 31: RYAN HOLIDAY on Ranch Life, Fostering Discipline, and the Loss of Reading Culture

Mentioned by

Iain McGilchrist

, who states that he is late in reading the book and that Neil Postman is saying things that he has been saying for a long time.

34 snips

E165 - Dr. Iain McGilchrist: Rediscovering Wisdom, Awe, and Balance in a Left-Brain World

Mentioned by

Tristan Harris

as an author whose work he finds insightful.

25 snips

#387: Tristan Harris — Fighting Skynet and Firewalling Attention

Mentioned by

Aaron Bastani

when discussing the Bronze Age collapse and the potential for social choice in technology adoption.

20 snips

Downstream: Everything We’re Told About the History of the West Is Wrong w/ Josephine Quinn

Mentioned by

Greg Epstein

when discussing how technology became a religion, referencing Postman's comparison between tech and religion.

18 snips

Greg Epstein "Tech Agnostic"

Mentioned by

Brett McCracken

as another formational book written by Neil Postman in the early 90s.

13 snips

Scrolling Ourselves to Death (with Brett McCracken)

Mentioned by

Ginny Yurich

as an author whose works offer valuable insights into the impact of technology on society and childhood.

12 snips

1KHO 474: Using Psychology as a Weapon Against Children | Dr. Richard Freed, Better Than Real Life

Mentioned by

Cal Newport

as a book on the impact of technology on culture.

Ep. 49: Organizing Massive Projects, Taming IM, and Exploring the Deep Life Canon

Mentioned by

Paul Rogers

when discussing how technology is framed and considered.

Bitcoin Taught Me What 20 Years in Finance Didn’t | Paul Rogers | BFM157

Mentioned by

Martin Selbrede

as a book discussing the negative impacts of technology on society.

Chalcedon Podcast Ep. 55 - Christianity & Cultural Decline

Mentioned in the context of technology's skeptical questioners.

#6. L.M. Sacasas on Ivan Illich, Technopoly, and Human Flourishing

Mentionné par Isabelle Chapuis comme une citation pertinente sur l'impact des nouvelles technologies sur la pensée et la société.

La bombe dans la cuisine : qu'est-ce que l'intégrité cognitive

Mentioned by

Brett McCracken

as a book discussing how technology, initially used as tools, ends up using us.

Are We Scrolling Ourselves to Death? (Brett McCracken and Ivan Mesa)

Mentioned by

Thomas Morton

as the book he is currently reading, highlighting computer's effects of printing press.

#333 - What Destroyed VICE Media: The Story They NEVER Told | Thomas Morton

Mentioned by

Adam McCauley

as a prescient book, referring to Postman's argument on technology's transformative effect.

Is AI About to Automate War? With Anthony King

Mentioned by

Scott Horton

in the context of online censorship and lack of accountability.

Scott Horton

Mentioned by

Keith Kruger

as shaping not just how we communicate, but how we reason, what we value, even what we're able to see.

Joseph Torigian, "The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping" (Stanford UP, 2025)

Mentioned by

Brad Harris

, describing a social order in which tools cease to be tools as such and become the entire environment.

The Machinery of Abundance

Mentioned by Jerry and Stably in relation to Boorstin’s work, highlighting thematic similarities and the influence of Postman’s ideas on media and culture.

The Image by Daniel J. Boorstin

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