Homo Deus: A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOMORROW with Yuval Noah Harari

The paragraph introduces Professor Yuval Harari, a renowned historian from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Harari is celebrated for his best-selling books, 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind' and 'Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow'. He is recognized for his ability to ask profound questions about human history and our future. Harari's work challenges traditional views of historians by focusing on the big picture and the unique aspects of human development, such as our capacity for large-scale, flexible cooperation and the role of collective beliefs in shaping our history.

This paragraph discusses the unique role of fiction in human society according to Harari. He posits that fictional realities, such as religion, nations, and money, are central to our existence. These constructs, though not objective, provide the framework for human cooperation and the functioning of complex societies. Harari argues that our capacity to believe in shared fictions is a key element that has led to human dominance and the formation of sophisticated social structures.

Harari presents a thought-provoking view of the future, suggesting that Homo sapiens may become extinct in the near future, replaced by different entities. He discusses the shifting of authority from humans to algorithms, indicating a profound change in how decisions are made. The lecture transitions from discussing the past and present to contemplating the significant transformations that may lie ahead for humanity.

This section delves into the humanist ideology that has dominated the last few centuries, emphasizing human feelings and free will as the ultimate sources of authority. Harari explains how humanism has manifested in various aspects of life, including politics, economics, art, and ethics. The core tenet of humanism is that individuals should look within themselves for guidance, rather than seeking answers from external sources like gods or authorities.

In this paragraph, Harari discusses the humanist perspective on art and aesthetics. He highlights the iconic work of Marcel Duchamp, 'Fountain', to illustrate how the concept of art has shifted from an objective standard to a subjective, human-centered view. Harari emphasizes that in the humanist view, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and personal feelings and interpretations are valued over traditional, authoritative definitions of art.

Harari examines the evolution of ethical authority from divine commandments to human feelings. He contrasts the medieval era, where the Church's views on issues like homosexuality were considered the ultimate ethical authority, with the modern humanist era, which prioritizes individual feelings and experiences. Harari also notes the irony of religious fundamentalists adopting the language of human feelings to argue their points in contemporary society.

This section focuses on the humanist approach to education, which aims to foster independent thought rather than simply impart knowledge. Harari explains that the goal of a humanist education system is to enable students to connect with their inner authority and make their own decisions, rather than relying on external sources of authority like religious texts or the teachings of the past.

Harari discusses the challenge that advancements in science and technology pose to humanism. He suggests that the belief in free will and the primacy of human feelings, cornerstones of humanism, are being undermined by scientific discoveries. Harari argues that our feelings are biochemical algorithms, and with enough data and computational power, external algorithms could potentially understand and predict human behavior better than we do ourselves.

In this paragraph, Harari elaborates on the concept that organisms, including humans, are essentially algorithms. He explains that feelings and sensations are biochemical processes designed to calculate probabilities for decision-making. Harari uses the example of a baboon deciding whether to risk its life for food to illustrate how these 'algorithms' function in nature, emphasizing that feelings are evolved tools for survival rather than metaphysical entities.

Harari discusses the merging of biotechnology and information technology, which he sees as a significant development in the 21st century. He suggests that as our understanding of the human body and brain advances alongside the development of increasingly sophisticated electronic algorithms, the distinction between the two fields is blurring. Harari warns that entities like Google and Facebook may soon know us better than we know ourselves, leading to a shift in authority from human feelings to big data algorithms.

Harari illustrates the shifting authority in medical decisions from human feelings to data-driven algorithms. He cites the example of Angelina Jolie's preventive mastectomy following a genetic test indicating a high risk of breast cancer, despite having no symptoms. Harari suggests that this trend of relying on big data for medical decisions will become more prevalent, and that the authority in healthcare will increasingly reside with algorithms rather than individual feelings or experiences.

In this section, Harari explores the implications of dataism in the context of reading and literature. He describes a future where algorithms, rather than personal feelings or preferences, dictate what books we read. Harari envisions a scenario where Amazon, equipped with extensive data about our reading habits and physiological responses, could make highly personalized recommendations and even influence significant life decisions, such as marriage, based on data analysis.

Harari concludes his talk by highlighting that technology itself is not deterministic and can be used to create a variety of societal structures. He uses the example of electricity in East Asia to illustrate that technology can be harnessed differently by different societies. Harari emphasizes that while we are still far from fully understanding the human brain and mind, the potential of technology to reshape our lives is significant, and it is up to us to shape the future we want.