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Industrial Society and Its Future: The Unabomber Manifesto by Ted Kaczynski
Industrial Society and Its Future is a manifesto by Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. It argues that industrialization has destroyed the environment and undermined human freedom, critiques modern technology, rejects leftism, and advocates a nature-centered anarchism.
Kaczynski (1942–2023) was an American mathematician who became a domestic terrorist. Between 1978 and 1995, he carried out a mail bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others. He claimed these attacks were intended to hasten the collapse of industrial society and protect the wilderness.
In 1995, he offered to end his bombing campaign in exchange for widespread circulation of his manifesto.
While his violent methods were widely condemned, his ideas about technology’s control over modern life have sparked ongoing debate. His manifesto appears on college reading lists and continues to influence discussions about society’s relationship with progress.
This is a republication by Comprehendible Classics.
Comprehendible Classics breathe new life into timeless books that have shaped our world. We translate old texts into modern English, and sometimes also republish more recent texts to help make them more easily accessible.
Explore our full collection and stay updated on our latest releases by following us on social media @comprehendibleclassics or subscribing to our Amazon author page.
Kaczynski (1942–2023) was an American mathematician who became a domestic terrorist. Between 1978 and 1995, he carried out a mail bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others. He claimed these attacks were intended to hasten the collapse of industrial society and protect the wilderness.
In 1995, he offered to end his bombing campaign in exchange for widespread circulation of his manifesto.
While his violent methods were widely condemned, his ideas about technology’s control over modern life have sparked ongoing debate. His manifesto appears on college reading lists and continues to influence discussions about society’s relationship with progress.
This is a republication by Comprehendible Classics.
Comprehendible Classics breathe new life into timeless books that have shaped our world. We translate old texts into modern English, and sometimes also republish more recent texts to help make them more easily accessible.
Explore our full collection and stay updated on our latest releases by following us on social media @comprehendibleclassics or subscribing to our Amazon author page.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 27, 2025
He needs to understand the difference between leftists and liberals.
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January 30, 2025Industrial Society and Its Future by Theodore John Kaczynski, presents a provocative critique of technological society, articulating concerns about power, autonomy, and human fulfillment. However, despite his (arguably) incisive observations, Kaczynski's diagnosis of these societal issues and his proposed solutions are fundamentally flawed and riddled with contradictions. His manifesto often conflates technology with authoritarian control, overlooking the complex and intrinsic dynamics of human nature that have existed long before industrialization.
Kaczynski introduces the concept of the “power process,” asserting that humans have a psychological need to set and achieve meaningful goals autonomously. He argues that modern industrial society deprives individuals of this process, relegating them instead to pursuing meaningless “surrogate activities” such as work, entertainment, and the accumulation of status and money. According to Kaczynski, these activities are inherently unsatisfying because they do not fulfill the same primal need for autonomy and survival-oriented achievement.
This framework, however, oversimplifies human motivation and desire. It reduces psychological fulfillment to the completion of basic biological tasks while dismissing complex social and intellectual pursuits as mere distractions. Kaczynski neglects the human drive for identity, societal acceptance, and creative expression. History and countless examples show individuals willingly sacrificing basic needs in pursuit of endeavors that Kaczynski would classify as surrogate activities.
Moreover, Kaczynski’s view of primitive societies as paragons of happiness and autonomy is misleading. He imagines them as inherently egalitarian and devoid of the hierarchical and technological constraints that plague industrial society. Yet, historical and anthropological evidence points to the existence of social hierarchies, even in hunter-gatherer communities. Groups such as the San people of the Kalahari famously maintain egalitarian norms, but through deliberate cultural practices rather than a lack of technological progress. Community bonds, collective responsibility, and social rituals fostered these societies' stability and cohesion—not the absence of industry or technological tools.
Kaczynski's critique of technology as a unique and oppressive force also falters when examined in the broader context of human history. Hierarchical control has been a persistent feature of human existence, observable even in non-industrial societies and the animal kingdom. Whether through physical dominance, social manipulation, or cultural traditions, hierarchical structures emerge irrespective of technological development. Kaczynski’s argument that dismantling modern technology would restore autonomy ignores the likelihood that human power structures would simply find other tools to assert control.
Perhaps the most glaring contradiction in Kaczynski’s manifesto lies in his proposed solution: a revolution to dismantle the industrial system and return society to a primitive state. He acknowledges early in the text that societal changes cannot be designed on paper and that revolutionary outcomes are unpredictable. Yet, he clings to the notion that destroying the current system is the only viable path forward. His metaphor of the weak man killing a sick strong man to ensure future autonomy underscores the impracticality of his solution: technological development is a product of human ingenuity and persistence. Even if the current system were dismantled, history suggests that technological progress would likely re-emerge.
Philosophically, Kaczynski’s concept of alienation from the power process shares similarities with Marx’s idea of alienated labor. Both thinkers argue that industrial society estranges individuals from their inherent creative and productive capacities. However, where Marx seeks a reorganization of economic systems to empower the worker, Kaczynski rejects modern systems altogether, advocating a return to a primitive way of life. This radical regression is not only impractical but also inconsistent with the very human desires for progress and innovation that Kaczynski acknowledges.
In conclusion, Industrial Society and Its Future highlights legitimate concerns about the psychological impact of technological society but fails to provide a coherent or viable solution. It reads like an overly eager incel let loose, and ultimately remains a manifesto of frustration, rather than a reasoned pathway to a better future.
Kaczynski introduces the concept of the “power process,” asserting that humans have a psychological need to set and achieve meaningful goals autonomously. He argues that modern industrial society deprives individuals of this process, relegating them instead to pursuing meaningless “surrogate activities” such as work, entertainment, and the accumulation of status and money. According to Kaczynski, these activities are inherently unsatisfying because they do not fulfill the same primal need for autonomy and survival-oriented achievement.
This framework, however, oversimplifies human motivation and desire. It reduces psychological fulfillment to the completion of basic biological tasks while dismissing complex social and intellectual pursuits as mere distractions. Kaczynski neglects the human drive for identity, societal acceptance, and creative expression. History and countless examples show individuals willingly sacrificing basic needs in pursuit of endeavors that Kaczynski would classify as surrogate activities.
Moreover, Kaczynski’s view of primitive societies as paragons of happiness and autonomy is misleading. He imagines them as inherently egalitarian and devoid of the hierarchical and technological constraints that plague industrial society. Yet, historical and anthropological evidence points to the existence of social hierarchies, even in hunter-gatherer communities. Groups such as the San people of the Kalahari famously maintain egalitarian norms, but through deliberate cultural practices rather than a lack of technological progress. Community bonds, collective responsibility, and social rituals fostered these societies' stability and cohesion—not the absence of industry or technological tools.
Kaczynski's critique of technology as a unique and oppressive force also falters when examined in the broader context of human history. Hierarchical control has been a persistent feature of human existence, observable even in non-industrial societies and the animal kingdom. Whether through physical dominance, social manipulation, or cultural traditions, hierarchical structures emerge irrespective of technological development. Kaczynski’s argument that dismantling modern technology would restore autonomy ignores the likelihood that human power structures would simply find other tools to assert control.
Perhaps the most glaring contradiction in Kaczynski’s manifesto lies in his proposed solution: a revolution to dismantle the industrial system and return society to a primitive state. He acknowledges early in the text that societal changes cannot be designed on paper and that revolutionary outcomes are unpredictable. Yet, he clings to the notion that destroying the current system is the only viable path forward. His metaphor of the weak man killing a sick strong man to ensure future autonomy underscores the impracticality of his solution: technological development is a product of human ingenuity and persistence. Even if the current system were dismantled, history suggests that technological progress would likely re-emerge.
Philosophically, Kaczynski’s concept of alienation from the power process shares similarities with Marx’s idea of alienated labor. Both thinkers argue that industrial society estranges individuals from their inherent creative and productive capacities. However, where Marx seeks a reorganization of economic systems to empower the worker, Kaczynski rejects modern systems altogether, advocating a return to a primitive way of life. This radical regression is not only impractical but also inconsistent with the very human desires for progress and innovation that Kaczynski acknowledges.
In conclusion, Industrial Society and Its Future highlights legitimate concerns about the psychological impact of technological society but fails to provide a coherent or viable solution. It reads like an overly eager incel let loose, and ultimately remains a manifesto of frustration, rather than a reasoned pathway to a better future.
October 26, 2025
I'll be having his cake and eating it too 😝
September 28, 2025
Schizophrenic garbage. Ted should've stuck to making bombs and being racist.
Read
April 10, 2025en route to this residential construction job with my dad, the commute was over 5 hours round-trip
tried to keep myself awake- music turned me into a zombie
but people talking keeps the brain stimulated
went on this binge watching a YouTube series about crazy fucking dudes in history- one of the episodes being about the Unabomber
we both became kind of obsessed with his story and I listened to the audiobook
some hardcore truth bombs in there, but the man is clearly obsessive and borderline schizophrenic
something inspiring and alluring about tearing it all down
but I think the evisceration of civilized society would descend into barbarism and local atrocity
though the whirling serpent of technological advancement may lay before us horrors unfathomable to the sagas of history as we’ve come to know it
literally a few days later though, Luigi Mangione was apprehended for killing that healthcare CEO
Such a weird alignment
we were both valedictorian graduates of 2016 oddly connected to gen 3 pokemon
shared a similar well of inspiration
and here I am now
just performed as Luigi in a play
fanfic or not… never quite know where you’ll find yourself in mirror of your weird connections
I try not to be resentful but it’s hard to weigh it against proactive declarations of justice in the face of unchallenged injustice
I’m glad a lot of people are on his side
tried to keep myself awake- music turned me into a zombie
but people talking keeps the brain stimulated
went on this binge watching a YouTube series about crazy fucking dudes in history- one of the episodes being about the Unabomber
we both became kind of obsessed with his story and I listened to the audiobook
some hardcore truth bombs in there, but the man is clearly obsessive and borderline schizophrenic
something inspiring and alluring about tearing it all down
but I think the evisceration of civilized society would descend into barbarism and local atrocity
though the whirling serpent of technological advancement may lay before us horrors unfathomable to the sagas of history as we’ve come to know it
literally a few days later though, Luigi Mangione was apprehended for killing that healthcare CEO
Such a weird alignment
we were both valedictorian graduates of 2016 oddly connected to gen 3 pokemon
shared a similar well of inspiration
and here I am now
just performed as Luigi in a play
fanfic or not… never quite know where you’ll find yourself in mirror of your weird connections
I try not to be resentful but it’s hard to weigh it against proactive declarations of justice in the face of unchallenged injustice
I’m glad a lot of people are on his side
January 6, 2025
Ended up agreeing with the majority of his points, though I would be in trouble if I were to say first and foremost that the purpose of this read was purely educational and done out of curiosity. Ted was obviously a genius and I wish he had better outlets for his ideas against the imminent threat of socialized and heavily industrialized technology. This book was written back in the 80s (check date for me) and much of his predictions are unfortunately becoming true in today's modern society (esp. with AI progress).
Some quotes I found interesting (though not necessarily and exclusively true):
"If the machines are permitted to make all heir own decisions, we can't make any conjectures as to the results, because it is impossible to guess how such machines might behave."
"Many primitive peoples, when they don't have work to do, are quite content to sit for hours at a time doing nothing at all, because they are at peace with themselves and their world. But most modern people must be constantly occupied or entertained, otherwise they ge "bored," i.e., they get fidgety, uneasy, irritable."
"A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems at one stroke."
Some quotes I found interesting (though not necessarily and exclusively true):
"If the machines are permitted to make all heir own decisions, we can't make any conjectures as to the results, because it is impossible to guess how such machines might behave."
"Many primitive peoples, when they don't have work to do, are quite content to sit for hours at a time doing nothing at all, because they are at peace with themselves and their world. But most modern people must be constantly occupied or entertained, otherwise they ge "bored," i.e., they get fidgety, uneasy, irritable."
"A revolutionary movement offers to solve all problems at one stroke."
February 7, 2025
I read this as part of my societal learning process, I found it to make sense in parts then be barely tangible. He does make sense but it would take a mass culling to take any effect since the growth of technology as allowed population, medication and the elderly life and limitations to be prolonged leading to over growth of the population. If anything I think we will end in falling into this culling pattern ultimately towards the end of our extinct event such as the climate crisis getting worse.
February 18, 2025
his points are okay but i’ve seen them before from smarter people
November 21, 2025
Review of ISAIF’s idea of the power process.
In this short review I will be discussing the power process in Ted Kaczynski’s book Industrial Society And Its Future (ISAIF for short) The book talks about technology, how it affects our life and what effects it has on Earth’s Nature, what effects it has to our psyche and how it affects society as a whole, but I will specifically talk about one of it’s ideas and that is the idea of the “power process.”.
The idea of the power process as it’s described by ISAIF is a human need (most likely based in our biology), that is split into four different elements – goal, effort, attainment of the goal, and autonomy (which isn’t necessary for all people, though most need a greater or lesser autonomy to feel fulfilled). A good example of a person who needs little to no autonomy is the good combat soldier – he gets his sense of power from being skilled in fighting, yet obediently follows his superiors. A person who needs little to no effort in getting food, shelter, clothes and other necessities quickly becomes demoralized, bored, hedonistic, develops weird sexual behaviour, psychological illnesses and etc. whilst consistent failure to attain said goals if they are physical necessities leads to death and if compatible with survival leads to frustration. Consistent failure to achieve goals through life leads to defeatism, low self-esteem or depression. So Kaczynski argues that if a person wants to avoid serious psychological problems he needs to have a goal that requires effort and a decent rate of success in attaining the goal.
Kaczynski argues in ISAIF that the power process is disrupted in the modern age: To get food you just need to get a job, which usually requires some technical skills, a moderate intelligence, but most importantly you need to be obedient, and with that you can easily get food and shelter and live the rest of your life mostly sorted out (Of course there is an underclass, but he is talking about the majority of people). And this is why most people give most of their time and attention to “surrogate activities” – an artificial activity designed to give people a sense of fulfillment but not directly related to their most serious, practical, life-and-death circumstances (where the goals and their attainment leads to the ultimate fulfillment–life itself). Scientific studies, art, video games and other things all constitute “surrogate activities.” For many people, if not for most, Kaczynski argues that surrogate activities are not genuinely fulfilling, and that’s why the money-chaser will always chase more money, or the scientists will look for another problem to solve. Many of these people will even say that biological needs are mundane to them, and Kaczynski argues this is because of how trivial the effort these goals require in technological society (and thus how meaningless and unfulfilling they are) and how people have lost autonomy over these needs (even though they have great autonomy in their surrogate activities.
Overall, Ted Kaczynski’s idea of the power process gives us an elegantly simple yet profoundly true insight on the issues that inevitably come with technologically advanced societies and how its inevitable disruption immiserates people, leads to societal decadence, strips meaning from life and many more psychological pains..
In this short review I will be discussing the power process in Ted Kaczynski’s book Industrial Society And Its Future (ISAIF for short) The book talks about technology, how it affects our life and what effects it has on Earth’s Nature, what effects it has to our psyche and how it affects society as a whole, but I will specifically talk about one of it’s ideas and that is the idea of the “power process.”.
The idea of the power process as it’s described by ISAIF is a human need (most likely based in our biology), that is split into four different elements – goal, effort, attainment of the goal, and autonomy (which isn’t necessary for all people, though most need a greater or lesser autonomy to feel fulfilled). A good example of a person who needs little to no autonomy is the good combat soldier – he gets his sense of power from being skilled in fighting, yet obediently follows his superiors. A person who needs little to no effort in getting food, shelter, clothes and other necessities quickly becomes demoralized, bored, hedonistic, develops weird sexual behaviour, psychological illnesses and etc. whilst consistent failure to attain said goals if they are physical necessities leads to death and if compatible with survival leads to frustration. Consistent failure to achieve goals through life leads to defeatism, low self-esteem or depression. So Kaczynski argues that if a person wants to avoid serious psychological problems he needs to have a goal that requires effort and a decent rate of success in attaining the goal.
Kaczynski argues in ISAIF that the power process is disrupted in the modern age: To get food you just need to get a job, which usually requires some technical skills, a moderate intelligence, but most importantly you need to be obedient, and with that you can easily get food and shelter and live the rest of your life mostly sorted out (Of course there is an underclass, but he is talking about the majority of people). And this is why most people give most of their time and attention to “surrogate activities” – an artificial activity designed to give people a sense of fulfillment but not directly related to their most serious, practical, life-and-death circumstances (where the goals and their attainment leads to the ultimate fulfillment–life itself). Scientific studies, art, video games and other things all constitute “surrogate activities.” For many people, if not for most, Kaczynski argues that surrogate activities are not genuinely fulfilling, and that’s why the money-chaser will always chase more money, or the scientists will look for another problem to solve. Many of these people will even say that biological needs are mundane to them, and Kaczynski argues this is because of how trivial the effort these goals require in technological society (and thus how meaningless and unfulfilling they are) and how people have lost autonomy over these needs (even though they have great autonomy in their surrogate activities.
Overall, Ted Kaczynski’s idea of the power process gives us an elegantly simple yet profoundly true insight on the issues that inevitably come with technologically advanced societies and how its inevitable disruption immiserates people, leads to societal decadence, strips meaning from life and many more psychological pains..
January 26, 2026
Ted fundamentally understood the evolving role of technology from a tool used to improve human livelihoods to a pillar of industrial society that humans must then adapt to in order to maintain the system, instead of the reverse. His example of the invention of the car captures his thesis best. Inventing the car meant requiring the implementation of roads and thus the repression of man’s supposed right to freely walk the earth where they must instead wait for the light at the crosswalk in order to not get hit by a car and die. His rant about white liberals is beyond stupid, however, and the ranty and often disorganized style of ISAIF does give a glimpse into the accelerating psychosis Ted was experiencing, while also diminishing the quality of the work. While no one could ever condone his violent actions, his words from decades ago seem like a haunting foreshadowing of the expansion of technology that has followed since.
January 15, 2026
Read this for my book club “Lesekreis Destruktion und Akzeleration” with my friends from Twitter
- Very strange critique of leftism as an introduction
- Even though some points on societal change do make sense (i.e. system change won’t happen except the system needs it and facilitates it (climate, AI) you can only gather that from an accelerationist perspective that he wants to take his work remained futile
- I know at least 10 people on Luddite-X that could write this pamphlet as well
- Very strange critique of leftism as an introduction
- Even though some points on societal change do make sense (i.e. system change won’t happen except the system needs it and facilitates it (climate, AI) you can only gather that from an accelerationist perspective that he wants to take his work remained futile
- I know at least 10 people on Luddite-X that could write this pamphlet as well
June 26, 2025
Ted's analysis of the modern left as a group no longer definded by economic class but by psychology was prescient, as it has arguably been somewhat borne out by the shift of politics to a moral economy in the 21st century. There's a couple of nuggets of gold in this river of otherwise unhinged takes.
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August 3, 2025The door was left open. No one came.
August 10, 2025
Deeply moving discussion on the influence of technology. Relevant.
August 29, 2025
Read in college. Wife is reading it now. Brilliant and accurate.
October 22, 2025
I did NOT agree with the guy, but it was still a very interesting read. most people should not read this book, but it might be a valuable read for someone who wants to understand radicalism.
December 6, 2025
couldn't have said it better myself
December 29, 2025
its almost like im reading my own thoguhts... 🤔
September 1, 2025
The kind of shit I believe and I am into.
He’s right, btw
"To many of us, freedom and dignity are more important than a long life or avoidance of physical pain. Besides, we all have to die some time, and it may be better to die fighting for survival, or for a cause, than to live a long but empty and purposeless life."
He’s right, btw
"To many of us, freedom and dignity are more important than a long life or avoidance of physical pain. Besides, we all have to die some time, and it may be better to die fighting for survival, or for a cause, than to live a long but empty and purposeless life."
March 1, 2025
rok eta rolak ez du mugarik
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews