Neo-Tech (philosophy)
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Neo-Tech (aka Neotech) is a Neo-Objectivist philosophy originally developed by Dr. Frank R. Wallace, and later expanded on by other writers, most of who publish through the Integrated Management Associates publishing company.
Note: according to the online document Pax Neo-Tech, "Neo-Tech is neither a philosophy nor an ideology", but rather it is a tool which provides the individual with various advantages. This article refers to Neo-Tech as a philosophy for the sake of convention.
Philosophy
Neo-Tech shares many similarities with Objectivism, and indeed brands itself as a "dynamic" form of Objectivism, in contrast to Ayn Rand's "static" Objectivism. The main differences between Neo-Tech and Randian Objectivism lie in Neo-Tech's stand on biological immortality and its Zon conjecture.
"Neo-Tech" as a concept is defined literally as "fully integrated honesty", which is "the active state of according oneself with reality" as "applied in every dimension, every facet, and every moment of life".[1] According to Pax Neo-Tech, "honesty" is a preferable term over "truth" as the latter term is "a closed-circle, fixed static that insidious leaders, false authorities, and malevolent dogmatists dishonestly use for destructive, self-serving manipulations".
Wallace integrated the theories of the late psychology professor from Princeton University, Julian Jaynes, as expounded in his controversial book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind with his own ideas and Objectivist ideas to develop Neo-Tech. Wallace theorized that vestiges of the "bicameral mind" were in fact causing humans to be susceptible to the unquestioning acceptance of external guidance, and that "all political systems represent a regression into mysticism -- from conscious man back to bicameral man."[2]
Neo-Tech and Biological Immortality
Neo-Tech also shares some similarities with Extropianism, notably in regard to advocating technological progress toward achieving human biological immortality, as a non-spiritual route to the quest for eternal youth or immortality. However, Neo-Tech believes that this should be pursued strictly as a commercial enterprise, as it is its opinion that the competitive marketplace, rather than taxpayer-funded research, is the most effective and speediest route to technological advancement.[3]
The Zon Conjecture
According to Neo-Tech's online essay Digital Journey, "Neo-Tech literature speculates a-priori -- without current evidence -- that far-advanced, universe-creating business people could ... design both initial-condition universes and DNA to efficiently evolve their conscious equals for business purposes". These business people are "Conscious humans in far-advanced civilizations -- immortal Zons".
In addition, "Zons" are "metaphorically-postulated people who deliver never-ending values, prosperity, and health to conscious life", also known as "God Men and God Women", who have accumulated sufficient knowledge using Neothink to be able to perform large-scale manipulations of matter and energy and create universes.
Criticisms
Criticisms that have been made against Neo-Tech include the following:
- Jeff Diehl calls Neo-Tech a "Scientology-like Internet cult".[4]
- Richard Lawrence of the Objectivism Reference Center says that while Neo-Tech materials "claim inspiration from Rand", they "include wild claims to mystic-sounding superpowers that Rand would have rejected as nonsense".[5]
- The "Neo-Tech FAQ" calls Neo-Tech "a blend of New Age pollyanna promises, psuedo-science, and Objectivism".[6]
- The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection of Australia warns consumers of Neo-Tech's "psychic scam"[7]
References
- ^ Kimura, Yasuhiku (in some texts, under the pen name Ray Kotobuki). Neo-Tech: The Philosophical Zero in The Neo-Tech Path to a Better World, Volume VII-XII, 1992 p. 23
- ^ Wallace, Frank R. Consciousness: The End of False Authority, 1980
- ^ Wallace, Frank R. Achieving Commercial Biological Immortality in Neo-Tech Instructions, 1988, pp. 133-134.
- ^ Diehl, Jeff. Cults of Rationality.
- ^ Lawrence, Richard. Rand-Related Oddities.
- ^ alt.neo-tech Frequently Asked Questions — an FAQ critical of Neo-Tech
- ^ Psychic scam on ScamNet
Books
Integrated Management Associates is the main publisher of books and articles authored by those who support the philosophy, including the owners and some employees of the company. Other proponents of this philosophy have also furnished books and materials through other publishers (Some affiliated with Neo-Tech Publishing and some not). The Neo-Tech philosophy existed, and was called "Neo-Tech," several years before the original promulgator, I&O Publishing, was renamed to Neo-Tech Publishing to match the namesake of the philosophy.
- Frank R. Wallace, The Neo-Tech Discovery, Neo-tech Publishing (Originally published in 1975 by I&O Publishing and is the largest commercial success. Translated versions have been printed in Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, and Spanish.)
- Charles Beeler, Wolf Kahn, Strange City: The Future of Neo-Tech, Xlibris (Note: Xlibris is a print on demand self-publishing house.)
- Mark Hamilton, Neo-Tech Business Control, Neo-Tech Publishing
- Eric Savage, Neo-Tech Instructions, Black & White Pub Co. (1985)
- Eric Savage, How to Build a Global Business Empire
- Mark Hamilton, Profound Honesty: Outcompete God and Government, Neo-Tech Publishing
- Brett Peters, Neo-Tech Protection Kit, Neo-Tech Publishing
- Mark Hamilton, Will America Go Neo-Tech?, Integrated Management Associates (1995)
- Mark Hamilton, God-Man: Our Final Evolution, Integrated Management Associates (1998)