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The city of god revisited: Digitalism as a new technological religion

Author

Listed:
  • Andoni Alonso

    (Departamento of Humanities, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain)

  • Iñaki Arzoz

    (Independent Research, Pamplona, Spain)

Abstract

A Religion of Progress has taken shape over the last 21 centuries, from the Enlightenment to present times. It is quite simple to follow a thread from Hermeticism to today, however, several facts have altered its content, therefore, reformulating some of its promises and vision of the world. This paper attempts to evaluate how that Religion of Progress has become a sort of Techno-Hermeticism 2.0. Digital technologies have redefined old hermetic myths into a high-tech religion with dire environmental consequencies. Some of those myths are the resurrection of the bodies, the construction of the City of God, the Adamic universal language and so forth. Now religion must confront the upcoming collapse, however, it is unable to provide satisfactory answers. This goes for all the different churches, from accelerationists (Nick Land) to extinctionists and believers of digital solutionism. That leaves possible imaginative responses to that sociecological crisis without any relevant proposals.

Suggested Citation

  • Andoni Alonso & Iñaki Arzoz, 2024. "The city of god revisited: Digitalism as a new technological religion," Environmental Values, , vol. 33(1), pages 42-57, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envval:v:33:y:2024:i:1:p:42-57
    DOI: 10.1177/09632719231209743
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pernilla Hagbert & Ã…Sa Nyblom & Karolina Isaksson, 2021. "Approaching Change: Exploring Cracks in the Eco-Modern Sustainability Paradigm," Environmental Values, , vol. 30(5), pages 613-634, October.
    2. Michael Keary, 2016. "The New Prometheans: Technological Optimism in Climate Change Mitigation Modelling," Environmental Values, , vol. 25(1), pages 7-28, February.
    3. Norman Dandy, 2021. "How Long will Business as Usual be Sustained?," Environmental Values, , vol. 30(2), pages 141-146, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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