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"We are living in an astonishing moment in history in which the problem of scarcity, which has plagued our species from the dawn of mankind, is vanishing before our eyes," writes D'Souza in this exploration of the meaning of life in a world of increasing abundance. "The moral conundrum of success," D'Souza notes, means all too often that "the body is flourishing, but somehow the soul still feels malnourished." He warns that materialism may "transform our very nature as human beings and possibly introduce a new species in the world, the posthuman." He engagingly presents the principal arguments for and against the rapid growth of "techno-capitalism." Its champions, D'Souza states, embrace its power and the wealth it creates - they believe it will feed and heal and liberate the world. Detractors lament that it creates enormous inequalities, undermines families and communities, and destroys our most cherished values. D'Souza assumes the difficult task of creating common ground among these diverse positions, and does so convincingly. Drawing upon original reporting, including more than a hundred interviews with leading entrepreneurs, scholars, social and religious activists, and tech tycoons, he brings to life the heated debate over how we are all affected by the massive changes currently under way. Most engrossing are his interviews with prominent entrepreneurs and thinkers on both sides of the debate. Their candid comments and actions are enlightening and sometimes humorous. While D'Souza is clearly supportive of techno-capitalism, he shrinks from Frankensteinian innovations such as using bio-technology to pick the traits of one's children. He shares his original vision of how we can harness the power of technology and affluence to promote individual fulfillment and the common good. (The Free Press, 2000, 254 pp., $26) |
The current technological explosion and its resulting affluence, he explains, has presented America with a new problem - coping with prosperity.
