In a cross-post on Substack, I shared a post written by Marc Andreessen, a software engineer and cofounder of VC firm Andreessen and Horowitz.
Below, I’ve linked a thoughtful response to Marc Andreessen’s manifesto by Jason Kuznicki, editor in chief of TechFreedom. Manifestos are an inherently unintellectual genre—more vigorous than rigorous. Like glamour, they inspire partly by leaving out details and difficulties. When I re-posted the original manifesto, I considered taking issue with Andreessen’s inclusion of Marinetti on the list of influences. The Futurists were better artists than they were thinkers. Marinetti’s manifesto, with its call for war for its own sake and the destruction of the museums housing the things I love best in the world, is an extreme example of the modernist rage for destroying, rather than building, on what has gone before.
These two offer distinct visions of the future. Which one resonates with you?
The Techno-Optimist Manifesto by Marc Andreessen
The Future’s Going to Break Your Heart (and why that’s a good thing) by Jason Kuznicki
Virginia Postrel is a writer with a particular interest in the intersection of commerce, culture, and technology. Author of “The Future and Its Enemies,” “The Substance of Style,” “The Power of Glamour,” and, most recently, “The Fabric of Civilization.” This essay was originally published on Virginia’s newsletter on Substack.
Photo by Emile Guillemot on Unsplash.