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Knol

Some Method in the Madness

It is hopefully clear, but never too late for us to clarify the fact that we see parallels between many aspects of the application of religion and similar aspects in the use, or potential use of computers. We do not consider computers in general, or their trusted core, as religious objects in their own right or as elements of overt religious practice. The parallel that we’ve drawn to the evolution and use of computers is the recurring presence of religion and its mechanisms during the evolution of mankind. We do this with the utmost respect for religious practice. We do not perceive our considerations as demeaning the concepts of religion, but rather of elevating the concepts of technical evolution in general and computers specifically. That said, we do recognize somewhat tongue in cheek that a properly laminated variant of one’s American Express Platinum Card would make a good tombstone in that it says a lot about how we spent our lives as well as our money.

It is anecdotally appropriate to mention that we were drawn to the idea that religion is a recurring theme in societal evolution from the viewpoint of how we’ve seen technology, particularly computers, evolve. It was only after this slow dawning that we perceived that religion as an evolutionary mechanism was a mature field in its own right as studied from the viewpoint of evolutionary biology. Building on this realization, we subsequently found many interesting and diverse chains of discovery within the literature of fields of study centered on cognitive science and developmental psychology. We have drawn from some of the seminal works of the genre a number of areas that seem to offer striking insights into the technology realm of computers.

Perhaps one of the more profound aspects to us has been the concept of multi-level selection derived from grouping mechanisms, as well as individual natural selection, as evolutionary principle of species. Specifically in the case of humans, it has been illuminating to note the credibility of religion as a general mechanism in the multi-level selection process. While our digital identity plunges into the networked crowds and their subtle, reflexive, ever bouncing interactions, where does the trusted computer take its inspiration? Or does it need to? Does it belong?

For millennia, the justification for governance in China derived from the Mandate of Heaven. For cycle upon cycle of dynasties of Chinese emperors, the right to govern was derived from this precept; those who come to power must discern among paths they follow and select those that provide for the welfare of the people. For those dynasties that depart from the correct way, Heaven withdraws its mandate and a new regime is obligated to revolt and assume control. While China is today ostensibly one of the most a-religious countries in the world, in fact it is difficult to see much difference in governance from the days of the emperors. The Cultural Revolution of the second half of the XX^th Century has most of the characteristics of a theocratic schism. Such characteristics include a vision from a charismatic leader, a shaman by any other name, that guided the actions of multitudes of the faithful to effect justice and vengeance on those not sufficiently fervent in the faith. A fertile field, it would seem, in which to sow the seeds of the trusted computer variety of complex policy.

The largest market for personal technology today is China. A powerful country where the fragile equilibrium between independence and centralization has endured millennia of conflicts, this was a country where historical happenstance would widely open the gates for various technical venues, personal computers included. Bypassing the establishment of pre-digital infrastructures found in old industrial countries, the expansion of China has been fueled by the deployment of extremely advanced telecommunications and banking infrastructures; all based on the possibility to locally

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