third-modernity

PART III of 'In The Age Of The Smart Machine' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a new form of societal control in the third modernity, contrasting it with traditional totalitarianism. It analyzes how technology, particularly surveillance capitalism, reshapes human behavior, social relations, and concepts of freedom, culminating in a new collectivism driven by data and behavioral modification. The section also discusses the implications of this power for individuality, justice, and democracy, highlighting the challenges posed by the rise of 'Big Other' and the need for resistance.

Part III of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a new species of power distinct from traditional totalitarianism, focusing on how surveillance capitalism constructs a society governed by behavioral modification and certainty. It discusses the rise of 'Big Other' as a market-driven force that seeks total certainty through data extraction and behavioral prediction, leading to a new form of social order characterized by loss of individuality and the creation of a 'hive' society. The section concludes with reflections on the implications for freedom, justice, and democracy, emphasizing the urgent need to resist this new form of power.

Part III of 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism' explores the emergence of instrumentarian power as a novel form of totalitarian control in the context of a third modernity. It analyzes how surveillance capitalism creates a new social order where human behavior is manipulated through technology, leading to the erosion of individual freedom and the rise of a collective hive-like society governed by data-driven certainty. The chapters discuss the implications of this power for democracy, social relations, and the right to sanctuary, culminating in a call to resist this new collectivism.