Description
Anti-technology extremism is emerging as a significant force in contemporary political violence, with the potential to shape an era. Although still on the fringes, the frequency and severity of attacks targeting technology have escalated over the past two decades. While opposition to technology is not new, the most advanced forms of modern anti-technology extremism are found within three distinct ideological milieus: insurrectionary anarchism, eco-extremism, and eco-fascism. Within these milieus, the rejection of technology takes on an anti-civilisational dimension, with the ultimate aim of dismantling the techno-industrial civilisation. As such, these milieus, despite differing in narratives, strategic approaches, and ideological foundations, share a common goal: to reject the Anthropocene – a period marked by human domination and technological proliferation. This paper explores anti-technology extremism as a response to the Anthropocene, investigating how technology is depicted as the linchpin of human supremacy and the foundation of modern civilisation. By identifying the ‘homo anthropocenicus’ – those individuals who, due to factors such as class, race, or gender, have become both the architects and beneficiaries of the Anthropocene – the paper delves into the motivations behind this violent opposition. Finally, the paper addresses the practical implications: What can be done about the Anthropocene? How do these three extremist milieus envision and enact their struggle against technology and, by extension, the Anthropocene itself? In answering these questions this study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on the politics of anti-technology by offering a nuanced analysis of the ideological commonalities and divergences within these milieus.
