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Our society is constantly made to serve the needs of two systems: technology and capitalism. Neither exists outside humans, but both are treated as above and beyond us. The Mechanic and the Luddite offers the critical tools needed to deconstruct these systems—how they work, whom they work for, and what work they do in our lives. With signature style and energy, Jathan Sadowski presents a provocative one-stop shop for understanding the political economy of technology and capitalism.
Each chapter breaks down key features of technological capitalism, offering sharp, synthetic, and authoritative analysis of topics like innovation, labor, data, and risk. It's not enough to know how the machinery of capitalism is put together and how its parts operate; we must also know whom the machines serve and when they should be taken apart, to be rebuilt for new purposes or destroyed for good. The Mechanic and the Luddite provides the political guidance needed to make these crucial decisions.
"Succinctly encapsulates a decade of social tech research in clear, if academic, prose. . . . Sadowski gives a basic introduction to how Marxists understand capitalist exploitation to ground his later discussions. He then uses those well-worn tools skilfully."
"Lays the groundwork for a more cohesive resistance against capitalist technology. . . . Sadowski casts a withering gaze on the digital technology industry and its oligarchs, encouraging the reader to engage in rigorous material analysis by embodying two figures: the Mechanic and the Luddite."
“The Mechanic and the Luddite is a clearly written, incisive, and scathing account of the extractive and exploitative practices of Big Tech. . . . This book will be of interest to scholars in Science and Technology Studies, a field where Marxist-inspired methods and theories are largely marginalized.”
“An excellent resource for readers looking to critically examine the technocapitalist systems around us, with their feet firmly planted in the material world that those systems impact.”
“The book serves its purpose: pointing toward the necessity of a materialist analysis of technology and capitalism. In times when we are bombarded with the latest innovations, understanding how these systems operate and how they can be modified by social struggle is fundamental.”
Acknowledgments
1. Two Systems
2. Two Models
3. Innovation
4. Data
5. Labor
6. Landlords
7. Risk
8. Futures
Notes
Bibliography
Index