Necromancy as the Threat to Civilisation Development

Abstract

This article views ‘necromancy’ as the phenomenon that gradually deprives people of their evolutionarily acquired qualities, i.e. sensuality, will, emotions and reason. Using the method of historical retrospective analysis for the technical activities of previous eras, the authors state that mechanisation, dating back to the Renaissance, leads to the transformation of the human into a creature dependent on machines. Pursuant to the method of interpreting a number of notions and concepts of the philosophy of technology and social philosophy (‘necromancer’, ‘simulacrum’, etc.), it is shown that in modern society necromancy leads to the imposition of technical thinking on the rest of humanity, the transformation of states into automated weapons factories, and the total spread of death. Based on the application of the development and interconnection principles, it was proven that the necromatic tendencies of technology are significantly strengthened as the might and the centralisation of power grow. This connection is most evident in modern wars, where technology plays a crucial role. People need to recognise the now greatly exaggerated place of technology in the structure of social activities. The preservation of human freedom and dignity, the achievements of civilisation on the basis of establishing ‘eternal peace’ (Immanuel Kant) depends on the level of responsibility of scientists, politicians and ordinary people for their future.