Judith Bessant addresses a crucially important question for our time: might the turbulent period we live in be reconceived as a second Axial Age, driven by technological change? As the question itself implies, this requires an open- minded and fearless exploration of ideas from many disciplines. And the author delivers, with a stimulating synthesis. If we are going to understand what is hap- pening to our species as we try to cope with artificial intelligence, we need more of this kind of broad scholarship. Merlin Donald, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Canada The Great Transformation ambitiously weaves together much- needed historical, sociological, scientific, and philosophical insights into our present techno- social condition, and how we might wisely steer its trajectory towards a better future. Pushing beyond simplistic utopian and dystopian metaphors, and rejecting tired and fatalistic theories of technological determinism, Bessant identifies new prac- tices and principles of social thinking, learning, and designing that can help us rescue the endangered promise of technology for human flourishing. Shannon Vallor, William J. Rewak S.J. Professor of Philosophy at Santa Clara University, USA, and author of Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting Bessant puts the high-t ech revolution of today in perspective of the great technological revolutions of human history. But because society and technology co- evolve, this look into the future highlights the freedom we can exercise to ensure everyone benefits. Randall Collins, Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, USA, and co- author of Does Capitalism Have a Future? The Great Transformation While artificial intelligence (AI), robots, bio- technologies and digital media are transforming work, culture, and social life, there is little understanding of or agreement about the scope and significance of this change. This new interpreta- tion of the ‘great transformation’ uses history and evolutionary theory to high- light the momentous shift in human consciousness taking place. Only by learning from recent crises and rejecting technological determinism will govern- ments and communities redesign social arrangements that ensure we all benefit from the new and emerging technologies. The book documents the transformations under way in financial markets, entertainment, and medicine, affecting all aspects of work and social life. It draws on historical sociology and co- evolutionary theory arguing that the radical evolution of human consciousness and social life now under way is comparable with, if not greater than, the agrarian revolution (10000 bce), the explosion of science, philosophy, and religion in the Axial Age (600 bce), and the recent Industrial Revolution. Turning to recent major socio-e conomic crises, and asking what can be learned from them, the answer is we cannot afford this time around to repeat the failures of elites and theoretical systems such as economics to attend appropriately to radical change. We need to think beyond the con- straints of determinist and reductionist explanations and embrace the idea of deep freedom. This book will appeal to educators, social scientists, policy-m akers, business leaders, and students. It concludes with social design principles that can inform deliberative processes and new social arrangements that ensure everyone bene- fits from the affordances of the new and emerging technologies. Judith Bessant is a Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, and Adjunct Pro- fessor at the School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. She is widely published and her research interests include policy, sociology, pol- itics, youth studies, media-t echnology studies, and history. She has also worked as an advisor for governments and non- government organizations. In 2017 she was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for her ‘significant service to education as a social scientist, advocate and academic specializing in youth studies research’. Routledge Advances in Sociology Social Generativity A Relational Paradigm for Social Change Edited by Mauro Magatti The Live Art of Sociology Cath Lambert Video Games as Culture Considering the Role and Importance of Video Games in Contemporary Society Daniel Muriel and Garry Crawford The Sociology of Central Asian Youth Choice, Constraint, Risk Mohd. Aslam Bhat Indigenous Knowledge Production Navigating Humanity within a Western World Marcus Woolombi Waters Time and Temporality in Transitional and Post- Conflict Societies Edited by Natascha Mueller- Hirth and Sandra Rios Oyola Practicing Art/Science Experiments in an Emerging Field Edited by Philippe Sormani, Guelfo Carbone and Priska Gisler The Great Transformation History for a Techno- Human Future Judith Bessant For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.com/ Routledge- Advances-in- Sociology/book- series/SE0511 The Great Transformation History for a Techno- Human Future Judith Bessant First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Judith Bessant The right of Judith Bessant to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing- in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data Names: Bessant, Judith, author. Title: The great transformation: history for a techno-human future / Judith Bessant. Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2018. | Series: The criminalization of political dissent | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018004599 | ISBN 9781138186903 (hardcover: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315643533 (ebook: alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Technology–Social aspects. | Technological innovations–Social aspects. | Technology and civilization. Classification: LCC T14.5.B484 2018 | DDC 303.48/3–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004599 ISBN: 978-1-138-18690-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-64353-3 (ebk) Typeset in Goudy by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear For Rob Contents List of tables x Acknowledgements xi Introduction 1 1 Freedom and determinism: AlphaGo, AI financial trading, and Japan’s Mika Diva 19 2 What is happening? The first Axial Age 36 3 Changing our minds: the techno-A xial Age 58 4 Crisis and learning from the past: three economic crises, 1890–2008 85 5 Recursivity in times of crisis: a heuristic 104 6 Data is the new oil: leadership and political rhetoric in the techno-A xial Age 125 7 What experts say about artificial intelligence 156 8 Social design for the new techno- Axial Age 183 Conclusion 207 References 214 Index 243