Embracing Technology on Their Own Terms

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The Luddites, often likened to Robin Hood due to their regional origins in Nottingham, did not aim to halt progress or despise machinery. They were technically savvy individuals who tweaked and improved their machinery at home to resist being mere factory workers under oppressive conditions. Their legacy of utilizing technology in their own way has been overshadowed by misconceptions.

Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the history of the Luddites, why we have their story all wrong, and what we can learn from them today.

Brian Merchant is the technology columnist at the LA Times and the author of Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

An excerpt from Brian’s book was published in Fast Company. He also explained why he’s a Luddite in the Washington Post.
In 2014, Brian wrote “You’ve Got the Luddites All Wrong.”
On October 12, we’ll be holding a Luddite Tribunal in New York City.
We also mentioned the work of David Noble, Eric Hobsbawm, and E. P. Thompson.

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