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earwicker 's review for:
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
by Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus is not as convincing as Sapiens, but it is just as compelling. Harari's approach to the future is entirely consistent with his treatment of the past, which in retrospect makes me question how much I still agree with Sapiens, considering the many ways in which Homo Deus makes me cringe.
Materialism is at the heart of Harari's analysis and his "predictions" of future human life. Crucially, this materialism leads to a tricky divorce between intelligence and human consciousness. Human spirit and the soul are reduced to chemical processes, which makes the leap to artificial intelligence as a viable mode of life somewhat more credible. The problem, of course, is that no one really understands how consciousness operates. Harari sometimes seems to think that because human behavior is predictable, it must be governed by an algorithm. I'm far from convinced that this is true, just as I am far from convinced that neurotransmitters are primarily responsible for human happiness. The problem again is that we don't truly understand the mechanism at work -- consciousness. We don't even really understand happiness.
But Harari makes a clear and compelling argument, which actually makes it easier for me to disagree with his basic assumptions. More importantly, he is never boring.
Materialism is at the heart of Harari's analysis and his "predictions" of future human life. Crucially, this materialism leads to a tricky divorce between intelligence and human consciousness. Human spirit and the soul are reduced to chemical processes, which makes the leap to artificial intelligence as a viable mode of life somewhat more credible. The problem, of course, is that no one really understands how consciousness operates. Harari sometimes seems to think that because human behavior is predictable, it must be governed by an algorithm. I'm far from convinced that this is true, just as I am far from convinced that neurotransmitters are primarily responsible for human happiness. The problem again is that we don't truly understand the mechanism at work -- consciousness. We don't even really understand happiness.
But Harari makes a clear and compelling argument, which actually makes it easier for me to disagree with his basic assumptions. More importantly, he is never boring.