New Religions of the 21st Century | Yuval Harari | Talks at Google

The speaker introduces Professor Harari, a respected academic from the University of Jerusalem, who initially authored a book to ease the workload of his students by compiling his lecture notes. Unexpectedly, the book soared to bestseller status in Israel and was translated into 30 languages, garnering international acclaim. This success led to Harari's invitation to speak at Google, where he discusses the rise of new religions in Silicon Valley and the dominance of liberal humanism in the 21st century.

Harari delves into the principles of liberalism, emphasizing the importance of the individual and their inner voice as the ultimate source of authority and meaning. He outlines liberalism's belief in individual freedom, derived from an inner space of complete freedom, and the notion that only the individual can truly understand themselves. This belief system translates into various aspects of society, including politics, economics, art, and ethics, where the customer, voter, and individual's feelings are paramount.

The discussion shifts to the realm of art and aesthetics, where Harari highlights the liberal view that beauty is subjective and determined by the viewer's perception. He recounts the provocative example of Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain', a urinal presented as art, to illustrate the point that in liberal art, the audience's opinion is the highest authority, challenging traditional and objective definitions of art.

Harari examines the current global ideological landscape, asserting that the liberal package, encompassing human rights, individualism, and liberal democracy, is the dominant force. Despite social protests advocating for better implementation of liberal values, he notes the lack of viable alternatives. He also addresses potential alternatives like China's economic rise and radical Islam, critiquing their inability to offer relevant solutions to contemporary challenges.

The conversation turns to the profound questions posed by advancements in biotechnology, which could potentially lead to biological disparities between the rich and the poor, and even the emergence of different human castes or species. Harari emphasizes the urgency of these issues and criticizes ideologies like radical Islam for failing to provide insights or solutions to such modern challenges.

Harari reflects on the historical impact of religions and ideologies, contrasting the significant influence of the Industrial Revolution with the relative obscurity of religious fundamentalist movements of the 19th century. He underscores the transformative power of a few individuals in technology and finance over the masses engaged with religious texts, and highlights the rise of socialism and communism as ideologies that did shape the modern world.

The speaker identifies communism as a 'techno-religion' that promised prosperity and paradise on Earth through technology rather than divine power. He suggests that this shift from traditional religious questions to a focus on technology and economics redefined ideological discourse. Harari also predicts a future where data and information could become the central authority, surpassing individual human experiences.

Harari discusses the challenge that life sciences pose to liberalism, arguing that humans are not individuals but collections of biochemical algorithms. He suggests that life sciences undermine the concept of free will and the liberal emphasis on personal feelings as the ultimate source of authority. As scientists decode these algorithms and computers create superior ones, authority may shift from individual feelings to external algorithms.

The speaker envisions a future where decisions, even profoundly personal ones like marriage, may be guided by data and algorithms rather than individual feelings or religious teachings. He describes a potential 'data religion' where information itself becomes the ultimate source of authority. Harari also raises the possibility of a merger between humans and computers, as opposed to a conflict, and questions the validity of life sciences in explaining consciousness and subjective experiences.

The session concludes with an audience Q&A where Harari addresses queries about the historical emergence of patriarchy, the role of social interactions in decision-making, the comparison of ideologies to religions, and the influence of societal frameworks on scientific advancements. He also reflects on his personal biases as an author and the importance of objective historical analysis.