New Books in Science, Technology, and Society The Technological Soul: Alex Priou on Modernity, Ideology, and the Limits of Reason
Nov 6, 2025
In a thought-provoking conversation, Alex Priou, a Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Austin and expert on ancient thought, explores how modern technology and ideology shape our souls. He discusses the spiritual void left by technological mastery and the moral stakes of AI, warning against its subtle societal destructiveness. Priou argues for a return to classical wisdom from Homer and Plato to cultivate self-restraint and civic purpose in today's fast-paced world, challenging the listener to rethink contemporary ideologies.
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Three Ideologies Treat Humans As Instruments
- Ideologies like communism and militant nationalism attempt to answer modern liberalism's spiritual deficits but remain systematizing.
- All three major modern ideologies treat humans instrumentally as workers, fighters, or producers within a system.
Engineering Ate Theoretical Physics
- Alex describes teaching in an engineering college and noticing theoretical physics and math losing funding to applied departments.
- This signaled a societal shift from top-down theoretical science to engineering-led technological priorities.
Technologists Want Deeper Ends
- The Technological Republic calls technologists to align innovation with higher civic ends like patriotism.
- Priou sees this as an opportunity for dialogue between political theorists and technologists about technology's moral aims.
