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Bubba Hotep Hotep 1
21st November, 2007
English 3, Period 8
Neo-Luddism and Anarcho-Primitivism: Philosophies of Anti-Citizens
The purpose of this essay is to discuss philosophical movements relating to Henry David Thoreau’s quote: “Men have become tools of their tools”. This aphorism is a prime example of transcendental thinking because it states that the creations men have wrought through the Industrial Revolution now control them, reflecting the idea that the advancement of technological materials degrades human existence. Two philosophical movements in history relate to the former of the two aphorisms, which is Neo-Luddism and Anarcho-Primitivism. The title of “Luddite” refers to a historical movement that protested against the effects of the Industrial Revolution. “Neo-Luddites” are most commonly described as people or groups that oppose contemporary technological progress and have a hatred for consumer culture. Anarcho-Primitivism is an appropriate title used to distinguish varied people who have a universal objective of eliminating all ruling relationships resolving to create a primitive Utopia.
The first aspect of these philosophies that relates them to transcendentalism is that they both critique a certain shift in human progress to be negative and that would not allow a utopia to exist. A follower of Luddism thought that the phase-shift from agricultural to industrial only further alienated and oppressed humans. Being a Neo-Luddite basically means having a Luddite philosophy in the modern internet age, and viewing all current machinery to have only trivial use, “People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together

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and they were scared of being alone.” (Palahniuk, Choke). A Luddite follower believes that the influence brought on by technology advances humans to accomplish immoral actions. Neo-Luddites retort to unconventional methods of living and...