Special Topics in Political Science (390-0-27)

Topic

Promethean Visions: Ecomodernism and Accelerationi

Instructors

Hannah Glasson

Meeting Info

University Hall 312: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

COURSE TITLE: Promethean Visions: Ecomodernism and Accelerationist Political Thought

From Silicon Valley boardrooms to the pages of political manifestos, a new constellation of political ideas has emerged that embraces technological acceleration, planetary-scale intervention, and the promise of a radically engineered future. This seminar examines these theories with critical rigor, asking what these visions assume about nature, progress, and human agency. The course takes as its primary texts a set of recently published manifestos, essays, and books that exhibit the philosophy of accelerationism. Accelerationism is a tradition with a contested history, an uneasy relationship with democracy, and a surprisingly wide range of inheritors across the political spectrum. Accelerationist thought argues that the path beyond industrial capitalism runs through its technologies rather than away from them, and that major challenges relating to human futurity and the environment can only be solved through an acceleration of technological capabilities. We will read statements by Silicon Valley leaders including Marc Andreessen, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Dario Amodei, alongside representatives of ecomodernist thought. Students will also encounter critical perspectives, drawing on political ecology, science and technology studies, multispecies anthropology, and degrowth economics. A recurring question throughout the course will be whether the differences between left-wing accelerationism, reformist ecomodernism, and Silicon Valley libertarianism are as significant as their proponents believe, or whether they share deeper assumptions that deserve both consideration and scrutiny.

Class Materials (Required)

All readings will be posted on Canvas.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Political Science & Environmental Policy & Culture majors and minors until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites.