New Books Network The Technological Soul: Alex Priou on Modernity, Ideology, and the Limits of Reason
Nov 6, 2025
In a captivating discussion, Alex Priou, a political philosophy expert and scholar of classical thought, delves into how technology and ideology shape the modern soul. He explores the drive for control in modernity, contrasting it with ancient wisdom from Homer and Plato. Priou warns about AI's potential to erode social bonds, advocating for self-restraint over mere mobilization. He suggests that revisiting ancient philosophy could guide modern education and cultivate the virtues necessary for a balanced life amid relentless innovation.
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Modernity Levels Human Ends
- Modern technological and ideological thinking both aim for total control by systematizing human behavior for predictable outcomes.
- This reduces humans to a homogenized, acquisitive type and neglects the plurality of higher human ends.
Ideologies Channel Noble Longing Narrowly
- Liberalism offers limited, commercialized outlets for 'higher' longings, often through entertainment and fame rather than noble self-sacrifice.
- Communism and militant nationalism substitute other systemic ends but still instrumentalize nobility into collective labor or war.
Recenter Higher Education On Meaning
- Rebalance university priorities away from pure engineering dominance toward humanities that interrogate ends and meaning.
- Teach students premodern texts to reconnect technological skill with questions about the good life.
