#2394

Mentioned in 11 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 11 episodes

Mentioned by

Tristan Harris

as a book exploring the surrender of culture to technology.

331 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

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 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

Sean Leahy

when discussing technological change and its multifaceted effects on society.

AI and Technological Change: the Postman Always Delivers

Mentioned as a book that argues that technology has become a new religion.

569. Exploring Tech as the Modern Religion feat. Greg M. Epstein

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

David Pakman

as a source of interesting books on technology.

The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America with David Pakman

Mentioned by

Andrew Keen

as a brilliant writer whose work remains contemporary.

Episode 2500: Why I still believe in the American Dream

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

Scott Horton

in the context of online censorship and lack of accountability.

Scott Horton

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

Mentioned by Josh Pauling as an influential figure in his thinking about technology.

Robin Phillips and Joshua Pauling, "Are We All Cyborgs Now?: Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine" (Basilian Media, 2024)

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