The Garden and the Machine - On Happiness in the 21st Century

The world we live in - it is one which is permeated by innumerable axioms, and verities that constitute the very nature of our reality and the human condition. Whether it be the principles of human virtue, economics, societal hierarchy, love, war, or the keys to ultimate happiness and fulfillment. This verity is further of civilization, nearly every beneficial or noteworthy accomplishment, every technological validated when observing perhaps the most quixotic yet archetypal element of the human condition - the strive for societal progress, and the collective pursuit of happiness and satisfaction. Since the dawn maxim, every philosophical doctrine, has been in one way or another dedicated to this pursuit. However, as our society and civilization are evolving at a rapid, unprecedented rate in this, 21st Century – the axioms and understandings of happiness and amicable virtues quintessential for happiness are being reassessed like never before amid technological and societal evolution at an exponentially increasing rate.

   This dynamic, ever the more impacted by the rise in digital technology, has been often addressed by a myriad of authors, philosophers, anthropologists, and everyday thinkers alike. The sheer overabundance of works completed on the subject matter can often be overwhelming, with just about every perspective on the matter, from the optimistic modern utopia of H.G. Wells to the existential crisis initiated by Artificial Intelligence, addressed by 21st-century philosopher Nick Bostrom. I found myself over inundated upon the matter, and I sought a comprehensive resolution or at least an open-ended address on the pursuit of happiness in the 21st Century, I arrived upon a rather fascinating perspective on the matter rather articulately contemplated by cultural historian Leo Marx - in the zeitgeist of the mid-1960s in his analysis of the dichotomy between technology and human happiness in The Machine in the Garden (1964), which in my opinion holds a far greater veracity in the present day. 

   Within his thesis, eloquently espouses the dynamic and intrinsically encapsulating dichotomy between the advancement of technology enabling greater convenience and wealth, but also risking the potential degradation of what he equivocates to be 'The Garden', an ancient metaphor for eudaimonia. He addresses the impact of technology and modernization on the traditional concepts and perceptions of happiness, primarily as seen within the American Zeitgeist, yet in my opinion, also has allusions to antiquity. It is largely an exhibit on the impacts of technology in augmenting the human experience although veritable in the 1960’s has only exponentially increased in the modern age. Although some may assert that this argument may contain facets of fallacious logic regarding the dichotomy, in a supposed hyperbole of technologies’ detriments. Meanwhile, others may overly exacerbate the veracity of such an argument to be universal, blindly accepting it without questioning: however, it is with utmost sincerity and conviction that I assert the multifaceted and nuanced reality of this dichotomy between the Garden and the Machine. In which technology, despite exercising the capacity to enrich and illuminate the lives and potential of our civilization, has, in the 21st Century largely served to detriment the sacrosanct concept of "The Garden", and has been responsible for the degradation and erosion of individuals' capacities for happiness in the modern age.

   Firstly, to properly address the matter of Technology in the modern world, we must first define the quintessential maxim that is the Garden. With regards to the concept of "the Garden", and the internalization of the vital maxim of human happiness and fulfillment – the concept of the Garden itself predates a preponderance of our modern understandings of happiness and individual satisfaction. The term itself originates from the Ancient Greek philosophical school of Epicureanism, established by Epicurus of Samos, a highly influential yet quixotic and sensualist Greek Philosopher of the 3rd Century BCE - who adopted and augmented the philosophical concept of Utopia established by Plato and the Academics, and antiquated it solely with human sensual fulfillment of the pleasures, and this infantile sort of happiness as the primary goal and principle of Epicureanism. This visceral yet absolute perspective was in stark contrast to the Peripatetic, Academic, Stoic, Socratic, and Cynical doctrines - who although prevalent in Antiquity with a more complex, multifaceted understanding of happiness, have mostly (albeit unintentionally) been overshadowed by Epicureanism in the modern day. Thereby establishing the purpose and fundamental axiom of "The Garden"  as we know it descending from the Epicurean viewpoint as a mellifluous, visceral desire almost unattainable to most throughout the annals of history. However, the concept has been revitalized in the modern epoch; amongst a preponderance of both philosophers and everyday people alike - with a newfound attainability seemingly provided and secured by technological progress. However, having established the Garden as a dominant concept, one which would seemingly be enhanced and expounded through the digital Revolution - has contrary to expectation, fundamentally faltered in the Modern Age.

   With a myriad of statistics and studies originating from everywhere from Harvard Research Papers to Gallup Polls: reveal that since the digital revolution of the Early 21st Century especially, these quixotic desires that make up the Garden have become harder to attain - more Sisyphean rather than less. With depression exponentially increasing amongst our nation’s youth; economic disparities and wealth inequality surging at their greatest levels since the Gilded Age, technological prevalence relieving millions of working-class Americans from necessary jobs for their livelihoods’, and the mental health so prototypical for happiness and fulfillment in greater disarray than ever before - it seems near impossible to believe in the delusion that technology in the digital age has birthed an age of increased happiness. Regarding the rise in smartphones in particular, perhaps one of the most quintessential axioms of human happiness – the fellowship of humanity and connection, has been so tragically desecrated by the abhorrent reality that is The Machine. Not only have human interactions been degraded to a minuscule element of artificial, ersatz social media communications, but with the nature of instant gratification so commonly embedded into our psyche by Social Media, a preponderance of our Nation's Youth lack the vital capacity of conversational skills, paramount for happiness and human connection – the erstwhile staple of the human experience. Alongside the decline in fellowship and communication, the mental health of our nation has been on a vexatious decline in the 21st Century, directly correlated to our nation’s rise in digital dependency. The list of grievances goes on however, with everything from economic inequalities undermining the ideal of conveniences and collective wealth, and the decline in labor and opportunities due to harmful advances such as the perverse technology known as Artificial Intelligence having made Eudaimonia more Sisyphean, more unattainable than any epoch since the Dark Ages. In my opinion, alongside the opinion of millions of my fellow Americans, of my fellow humans – that is no image of utopia, for that is no epicurean garden, but rather one plagued with the weeds of human degradation, plagued by the toxic fumes of a mismanaged machine.

   However, do not be mistaken, for this is no pessimistic excoriation of the world we live in – or at least it is not intended to be – rather an addressing of the fundamental problem plaguing our modern society, the incoherence and conflict between the Machine as we know it, and the Garden as we know it – both fundamentally being flawed. Yet it is not my intention to lament over such a salient matter, but rather to delineate upon the desired and rather necessary solution, which in my opinion is not only attainable but is in direct opposition with the counterintuitive manner for which we have been led astray in the 21st Century with regards to Happiness.

   For it is not merely a change in the way we utilize and progress concerning technology that is quintessential for our correction, but also a fundamental reassessment of the very way in which we perceive the Garden itself. For the Garden, a cornerstone of Epicurean thought was notably regarded as a predominantly sensualist and gratification-based concept of Classical Philosophy in the height of Antiquity - and perhaps that is the problem. The concept of the Epicurean Garden that has become synonymous with happiness in the modern, materialist world is more resemblant to an infantile bliss, one which although enjoyable in an ephemeral epoch, is unsustainable and even detrimental in the long term, with nearly all of human history as a testament to the matter, especially when one introduces novel, all-powerful digital technology into the equation. For perhaps, what would be more necessary, more beneficial, and more sustainable; would be the introduction of alternative, more developed, and elevated doctrines and understandings of happiness, not in absolute opposition to the Garden, but rather in a multidimensional, civilized conjunction, a philosophical syncretism of sorts – enabling for a far truer enrichment of humanity. To achieve this near-Sisyphean feat, this romantic realignment, we must take into consideration the alternative schools of Classical Philosophy whose’ perspectives upon happiness are contrary to and in my opinion far more beneficial for humanity than Epicureanism.

   For instance, consider Stoicism, a doctrine so often misconstrued in the modern era to be purely constituted of ultra-moralist, and phlegmatic conceptions of existence, virtue, and happiness - neglecting the visceral nature of the Human Condition, that is one of raw emotion and one of experience. Rather, I seek to ascertain the Stoicism championed by Panaetius, by Cicero, by Diodotus, and by Marcus Aurelius. One of Secular, enlightened Ethics and moderation; centered around intellectual fulfillment, impulse obeying reason, refraining from instant gratification, acknowledging intellectual and moral fulfillment as the greatest good but not the only good, one separated from dogmatism to encompass the preferable, yet not be overcome by pleasure or pain. This is what we must utilize as the Stoicism of the 21st Century. Furthermore, consider the Peripatetics – the school of Aristotle, Theophrastus, Carneades, and Arcesilaus, who acknowledged the favorability of Utopian desires dismissed as quixotic by the stoics, such as the Garden, yet maturely prioritized pragmatic evaluation of what is sustainable for long-term happiness, rather than short-term, shallow, fallacious gratification. Or even consider the Academics, for even Plato, a philosopher so infatuated, so vexed by Utopian desires, acknowledged the necessity of multidimensional happiness and internal contemplation necessary for a greater good, happiness fit for a civilized society, and not merely for the unexamined life. Yet this does not necessarily mean that we ought to disregard the Garden, for we simply must incorporate it into a multifaceted, evolved understanding of happiness fit for an evolved civilization. That means a sophisticated happiness driven upon fulfillment intellectually, morally, socially, viscerally, and yes - sensually. For this is a happiness that would be far less vulnerable to the degradation and disenfranchisement by Digital Technology, or the siren calls of degeneracy, a happiness not encapsulated in gratification, loneliness, and although not eradicating the problem of modern technology, certainly diminishing its potential detriments.

   Now, having addressed and assuaged our concerns surrounding the Garden, we must progress to the latter, far more daunting matter – the machine. For it is the proverbial machine, the existential threat, and the appealing temptation. The benefactor of sensualism, the provocateur of societal disarray. For it is this dichotomy, so prevalent when contemplating technology, that is quintessential for our understanding on the matter, regarding the implementation of the digital technology that could either exponentially enrich the quality of our existence to near utopian heights, or deliver us into dystopia and ideocracy. For the matter is not to be taken lightly, and the amount of caution we exercise regarding modern technology could be the all the difference between Plato’s Republic, and George Orwell’s 1984.

   The important factor to understand throughout all of this therefore is the way we construct technology, the way we illuminate or desecrate humanity through this seismic power, through virtue or vice. For this means utilizing technology to enrich the quality of human existence subtly yet masterfully over time, by providing improvements to the quality of living through advances in fields such as Medicine and Welfare, ensured by technology, rather than the corrupting vices of Social Media as it stands today, or prioritizing the development in cyber-military technology: counterintuitive, and incongruent with the betterment of humanity, and the cataclysmic harbinger of Armageddon that is Artificial Intelligence.

   Particularly with regards to the latter, Artificial Intelligence, which has experienced an unprecedented period of growth throughout the last decade, at an exponentially unnerving rate – having exercised unprecedented influence over nearly all of humanity at a faster rate than perhaps any other technological advancement in all of human history with the sole exception of Nuclear Weaponry; a feat impeccable yet nonplussing to any audience, and imperative for our understanding. A Technological implement more prevalent than ever with Economic, Social, Political, Military, and Existential gravitas so seismic that it exercises the power to desecrate nearly every aspect of the human condition - alongside any notion merely resembling that of the Garden. For Artificial Intelligence, exercising not only the lack of authenticity in degrading genuine human ingenuity and intelligence - but additionally the impact pertaining to the plethora of industries that would be rendered instantly obsolete by the power, with the risk of cannibalizing millions of jobs and innumerable industries in the coming years. Such a happening could easily instigate unprecedented levels of poverty and unemployment for tens of millions of hard-working Americans, and citizens of every nation for that matter.  Alongside the economic aspect, the risk of the immense capacity of AI – far surpassing our own in many aspects already after less than a decade –  for being utilized as an implement of war, or the desecration of authentic human perception and connection imperative with any preconception of the Garden, is perhaps the greatest single threat facing our society in the long-term realities of the 21st Century. Or consider the existential risk of Artificial Intelligence in the case of a widespread malfunction - or the threat it may pose to our collective homeostasis and the very civilization for which we cherish as sacrosanct if it would be utilized for malfeasance, easily causing the traditional threat of Mutually Assured Destruction from Nuclear Weapons to pale in comparison to this new implement – which as civilizational neophytes we must proceed with immense caution and skepticism. Of course, I am not trying to advocate for the fringe possibility of a robot apocalypse or something along the lines of the matrix, rather, I am simply addressing the far more plausible, relevant, and likely possibility of AI leading to the cannibalization of economic livelihoods, realities of potential corporate dystopias, the invasive expansion of technology damaging human connection, the damage to authentic human intelligence and intellect caused by the prevalence of AI, and the implementation of AI as an artifact of War between nations in an increasingly hostile geopolitical climate plagued by sectarian tension – all far more likely than the doomsday scenario’s popularized in films such as Total Recall or The Matrix.

   It is with alacrity therefore that I reassert the necessity and veritability of prioritizing not the development and utilization of technology detrimental to the human condition, Eudaimonia, or our very existence and livelihoods (such as Artificial Intelligence or expansive digitalia): but rather, to disregard profits and avarice without also bettering the fellowship of humanity, and incentivize technology not contradictory, but rather beneficial to the Garden. To incentivize concordance between the phlegmatic, iron, automized Machine, and our mature, vivified, venerable Garden. To incentivize the bettering of the conditions for which we cherish as tantamount to the good life, to Eudaimonia. Alongside incentivizing bettering the quality of living - salient for homeostasis and advancement of the fellowship of humanity. To prioritize technological advancements for general welfare, alongside the multifaceted myriad of humanities riches – collective, intellectual, philosophical, technological, metaphysical, and sensual. For this, prioritizing the betterment of society not because it is convenient or profitable, but because it is honorable and beneficial for the masses in itself because it is right – that alone shall deliver greater riches and prosperity than any possible alternative in this new century.

   For we now find ourselves at a quintessentially climacteric – in which we as a species have dawned upon a pivotal juncture in our Progression – as we face one of two prospects, a new zenith, a new height in the progression and enrichment of humanity, or – most likely not a nightmarish apocalypse – but a world in which happiness is inexorably far harder to attain. A world in which our fellowship with our fellow man is in danger of erosion, perhaps not Mad Max, but an unpleasant reality, nonetheless. A world in which the machine cannibalizes its creators in a matrix of not doom and despair, but eternal servitude for menial profits, eternal servitude for sensualism followed by melancholy, eternal servitude for happiness incongruent with the Sisyphean efforts, ends unattainable by the means. A reality not characterized by the worst-case scenario, but forever condemned to a mediocracy and dystopia unfit for humanity and her potential. For we must ask ourselves what world it is, that we wish to create for ourselves in the 21st Century and beyond, and we must seek to ascertain concordance between a mature, sophisticated, concept of happiness, and a subdued, humanitarian implement of technology – a world in which we have not an odious machine, polluting an ephemeral garden – but one of concordance. One in which the Machine cultivates the Garden of Humanity and nourishes the flower of a brighter tomorrow.