When reading “Industrial Society and its Future” by Theodore Kaczynski, I actually found myself agreeing with some of his arguments. I, too, believe the industrial revolution led to significant harm, to people as individuals, a society, and, of course, to the environment. I was very interested in his concept of surrogate activities, which I found intriguing, and, I think, somewhat plausible. It seems reminiscent of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and it would not surprise me if Kaczynski’s concept was somewhat inspired by Maslow’s. I even found some of his thoughts on leftists, whom he despised, interesting, such as the idea that despite leftists defending certain oppressed groups, leftists themselves believe those groups are inferior.
I find the context around the text interesting. I know he likely made attacks for attention, but it is still strange to me that he chose to enact attacks instead of letting his writing speak for him. The process of how the FBI finally arrested him was interesting to me. The fact that Kaczynski managed to evade arrest for twenty years is commendable, and it is intriguing that he left false clues for investigators. Furthermore, it is remarkable that it is Kaczynski’s demand that “Industrial Society and its Future” be printed in a major newspaper led to his arrest, as his brother recognized the writing style and alerted authorities. Kacynski is still alive, and I wonder what he would have to say about “Industrial Society and its Future” and whether he stands by it.