One of the great Dune concepts that didn’t make it into the movie was Butler’s Crusade. This is not a jihad that Paul begins, but rather an event from much earlier that had a dramatic impact on the world of Dune. In short, the Butler Crusade was a war against AI and thinking machines (computers). The crusade was instigated by the abortion-ordering machine, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Humanity was already about to be replaced, but humanity was also losing its sovereignty as machines began to decide who lived and who died.
This movement against thinking technology collides with pressing questions that grow bigger every day in our lives. Whenever we use technology, we delegate our energy and capabilities to a tool. Usually this is fine. An ax allows you to split firewood much more efficiently than by hand, freeing up your energy for other things.
But as technology advances, we end up constantly outsourcing ourselves to the devices around us. When building cars, we use devices that serve as legs. Again, this is a good thing as it allows for much more efficient travel. But what happens when technology completely replaces human individuals?
Now, I’m not necessarily referring to AGI, but if machines can do everything they can do, but even more, what happens to the majority of the population? What if we created tools? We created tools that served us, and now they have replaced us. Is that a good thing? Can technology become too advanced? Can it be stopped? Huge numbers of people can no longer live effectively without modern transportation. Can I go back? Should I go home?
Dune presents us with a theoretical world where technological progress has stopped. And while it’s far from a perfect world, I think it’s a better and wiser world than the one we have now. Just because technology is advanced doesn’t mean it’s good. It needs to justify itself. Certainly, given the current state of the modern world, I think we need to adopt an attitude of skepticism. We may be in a better position materially, but with skyrocketing rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide, it’s clear that something is wrong somewhere.
And I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to sacrifice your abilities and withhold technology that makes your life easier. You won’t be a great artist if you rely on inputting prompts into an AI generator, and you won’t be a talented writer if you only use ChatGPT. These skills must be developed and honed the hard way. Otherwise it’s the same as anyone else using AI Generator or his ChatGPT.
In Dune, this type of person is called a Mentat. This person is socially adapted to the lack of computers and advanced algorithmic calculators. Like savants, mentat can perform nearly impossible complex calculations in their heads in a matter of seconds.
Screenshot from Youtube
Now, that power is probably unrealizable to us, but the concept is always present in our lives. If you want to be physically healthy, you need to actually exercise those muscles. He says one way to gain strength is to refrain from using technology to replace muscle. And when you have more power, you also have a little bit more control. Now you don’t have to rely on devices that break down or malfunction. Everything is up to you.
This principle applies to almost every aspect of life. With careful self-control, you can develop within yourself all the unrealized potential that you are wasting. Humans are not designed to rest. Humans are created to work, and it is only through work that humans become truly superior.
But the most important lesson of Butler’s Crusade is that it presents a world in which humanity has regained control. We tend to think of our lives as just insignificant points in the grand scheme of things. After all, what can one person do against the march of progress? If you have a problem with where the world is going, especially if you are one of billions of people, how can you solve the problem?
But Dune offers a more hopeful outlook. We can take back control of our lives. We can say no to desires and appetites for self-enhancement.we can Say no to the march of the world. And I think that’s a moving thought.
