Introduction to lowtechisation (from technosolutionism to lowtechisation)

Introduction

We’re not going to hit the climate goals anyway because we’re not organized to do it [...] and yes, the needs in this area will be a problem. But I’d rather bet on AI solving the problem than constraining it and having the problem if you see my plan. (Eric Schmidt, 2024)
Former Google CEO says climate goals are not meetable, so we might as well drop climate conservation — unshackle AI companies so AI can solve global warming. tomshardware.com(october 7th, 2024)

Introductory example

Exemple : Example of solutionnisme approach : electric car

private ownership
individual use
maximum speed > 150 km/h
weight > 1 tonne
lifespan < 15 years
innovation, automation...
...

Exemple : Alternative example: eXtrême Défi Mobilité (Ademe)

ownership: private → common
use: individual → shared
maximum speed: > 150 km/h → average speed < 50 km/h (Illich speed)
weight: > 1 tonne → 100 kg
lifespan < 15 years → recyclability
values: novelty, automation → control, simplicity
...

Interprétation des scénarios Transitions 2050 de l'ADEME sur l'axe lowtechisation / technosolutionnisme

Fondamental :

Technosolutionnism is about developing new technologies in order to solve socio-ecological problems without changing the pillars of modern capitalist society : progress, growth, consumerism.
Lowtechisation is about changing the perspective, the functions, the initial criteria, the « why » and the « what », and not only the « how ».

Theoretical base : TAC thesis

There is no no-tech humans

Technology as Anthropologically Constitutive

Humans and technical objects form an ontological couple, which co-constitute each other.
We abandon the idea that humans exist without his technical tools (and can think independently of them).
We abandon the idea that humans precede and override technology (and can control it).

We have to deal with technology, but...

Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral
Technology produces the way we live into the world (constitutivity).
Technology is both good and bad, there is poison in every medicine (pharmakon).
Technology evolution has a part of autonomy (beyond design).

Hypothesis : Redirection of technical design

There is no determinism (neither technical nor human).
We can make technical choices (which are political choices).
We have to inherit the current technical situation (we can not reject it). (Monnin & al.)

Adversary : Technosolutionnism

Technosolutionnism does not negate socio-ecological problems nor their human origin
Technosolutionnism is serious (research and development is for real)
Technosolutionnism is humanist (it aims at the well-being of human kind)

But...

It is a bet
It is a non secure bet
It is a all-in bet
Those who bet are not the first exposed to consequences

And...

Prevents us from thinking about the problem differently (e.g. individual car)
Fails to take account of complexity (e.g. monoculture)
Minimize of indirect effects (e.g. rebound effect)
Incorrect time scale, if we also recognise the urgency of taking action to reverse the trend (e.g. carbon capture)
Fails to take account of the effects of generalisation on a global scale (e.g. nuclear power)
...

Fondamental :

So we might have :

alternatives paths and voices
the democratic possibility of choices
the possibility of changing our minds depending on what really happens in the future (« Everybody knows... That's how it goes...»)

Lowtechisation

Lowtechication and low-tech

What is low-tech ?

A bike ?

Non electrical ?
With rolling bearing ?
With a chain ?

Fondamental :

A process, rather than a state.
A posture and a method, rather than an ideology.
Prefiguration (an anarchist concept) : what we can do here and now, in order to design the society we would like to have, and share the initiatives to spread the word (cf Masutti)