“[Capitalism is] inimical to poetry, eloquence, memory, the beauty of wit, the fires of imagination, the depth of thought. It is equally disinclined to reward gifts that cannot be turned to its uses.” (Page 27).

These are words written by Marilynne Robinson, (some borrowed from Alexis de Tocqueville), in her 2018 collection of essays, What Are We Doing Here.

So, what are we doing here? If an outsider, say a Tocquevillesque character, visited us today, I believe they would observe that we are functioning within the confines of a system that requires ever-increasing efficiencies at the expense of cultural, social and individual humanity. On this continuum of human intelligence to superficial intelligence to artificial intelligence that is required by this system, as a whole we are rapidly passing through superficial intelligence and fast approaching artificial intelligence. If we maintain this trajectory, the only question that remains is will we take on AI enhancements to ensure subservience to the system thus becoming a different species, or will we plateau a moment before full-fledged artificial intelligence thus maintaining a brittle shell of humanity. Dramatic? Maybe. Valid question? Yes.

Humanity: the quality or condition of being human, including its desire for beauty, truth, justice and perfection, and its proclivity toward fear, ignorance, pleasure and ego. Our trajectory, our system today, takes issue with humanity because humanity impedes efficiency. And, our system today impedes our humanity. The system would prefer aligned perfection with no ego. So, are we here to advance our system? Or are we here to advance our humanity? What are we doing here?

Those who buy into the system, (perhaps more so those who are wealthy and buy into the system) are dangerously duplicitous. The system is inhumane. An inhumane human is duplicitous. In this sense, perhaps we are all to a degree duplicitous, but those who stand against meritocracy and credentialism and human freedom as employability and the monetization of every aspect of every thought are likely not dangerously duplicitous. To value and champion “poetry, eloquence, memory, the beauty of wit, the fires of imagination, the depth of thought” is to stand outside the system and see how it is narrowing our vision and excising the very essence of our humanity.

To regain our humanity, to turn around and move back through superficial intelligence and toward human intelligence, we must somehow, within the universal bounds of civilization and citizenry, break then reconstruct our system. I so much want to believe we are capable. In this moment, monetary and political power have become primary, driving, (while stripping away layers of), our humanity. We have it backwards. Power is not the benevolent ruler it pretends to be, granting individuals their freedom and defining/dictating their purpose. Power is a consequence of cultural, social and individual humanity and is in place to protect humanity’s (cultural, social and individual) pursuit of freedom. We must recognize and live within this fact, or, continue on our current trajectory.