ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates ideology along with its “moral catechism” has significant psychological, moral, and spiritual dimensions. It discusses the epistemological dimensions of this ideology, that is, how Silicon Valley thinks about concepts like knowledge, progress, and expertise. The chapter considers its psychological, moral, and spiritual dimensions before concluding with reflections on how the virtue of prudence can redirect our focus away from solely instrumental or technical skills to non-instrumental values such as moderation, discernment, and humility that help confront the crisis. The guiding principle of techno-utopianism is that everything always has, always does, and always will continue to get better and better, forever and ever, amen. Public confidence in a techno-centric way of life is based, in part, on the belief that technology can deliver on its promises by always satisfying our hungers, whatever their type or size, in the most convenient and efficient ways.
