The Problem with Accelerationism

Of Any Variety

Hello from Morningside! There’s a common philosophical theme in one of the spheres I regretfully frequent online — Tech Twitter, Silicon Valley, VC Twitter, whatever you want to call it — which is “accelerationism,” as evidenced by the overpowering multitude of “…/acc” name tags. Heck, even I was naively drawn to wanting to shape one of these budding online movements, advocating for a version of bio/acc that entailed accelerating creative symbiosis with Mother Nature.

The trouble with the mentality of accelerating one’s definition of Good — whether that be something to do with technological progress, economic growth, or free energy capture — is that it is confined to acceleration along whatever axis one might have dreamed up. Any accelerationist philosophy is doomed to fail to encompass the multitude of sentient desires present on Earth, which can only be elicited slowly and deliberately. Ultimately, the only “acceleration” that ends up occurring is along the lines of progress defined (or deemed convenient) by the powerful.

What ends up happening is that in our haste, we overshoot the states of the world we only realize in hindsight we wanted to reach. Take New York for instance, where Robert Moses’ accelerationism brought about his sad legacy: entire neighborhoods destroyed by freeways and empty city coffers to boot. Let’s also not forget how a rush towards the age of television led to the destruction of the Old Penn Station, demolished in favor of Madison Square Garden — or how Mayor Bloomberg’s haste to reduce crime led to the racist policy of stop-and-frisk, whose long-term harms are still felt.

So, Silicon Valley CEO, VC investor, board member — you who have the agency in this era — how do you avoid blazing too fast into the Future? The answer is simple: spread your aims. Seek to stimulate growth as holistically and multi-directionally as possible. Diversify your progress portfolio. Learn new definitions of Good. Read philosophy. In other words, the only thing to accelerate is the expansion of your worldview.