Dr. Mario Donick has studied German language & literature and history at the University of Rostock. He has a PhD in Communication Studies. He works as independent author and researcher. Books and articles on human computer interaction & society, and digital games.
Apocalypse in “The Old Neighborhood”: Phantasies of longtermism Starfield and other space-themed digital games
FROG 2024 – Talk
In her work “Vita Activa” (1958, German 1967) Hannah Arendt pointed out that Earth is the only place in space that is suitable for sustaining human life without further ado (Arendt 2019, 9). She wrote this after the “Sputnik shock” in 1957, when the first human-made satellite was launched into Earth orbit. Arendt also pointed out that attempts by the sciences to “improve” human beings beyond their natural abilities and characteristics (ibid.) correspond to a “Rebellion des Menschen gegen sein eigenes Dasein” (ibid., 10; “rebellion of man against his own existence”).
Almost 70 years later, private space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin or Boeing are trying to realize the “dream of space”; biotechnology companies such as Neuralink are striving to develop digital augmentations to enhance human performance. However, the work of SpaceX and Neuralink in particular does not serve science or even just economic purposes, but is tied to an ideology known as “longtermism”. In short, it is about ensuring the longterm survival of humanity, which is always under the danger of existential risks, such as a nuclear war, the climate catastrophe or a (“strong”) AI. Longtermists give a higher priority to the well-being of future human beings, than the currently living ones. Elon Musk follows longtermist views; his activities with SpaceX are ultimately aimed to spread humanity to other planets in order to be protected in the event that life on Earth is no longer possible. Similarily, Neuralink is meant to level the playing field when humanity must deal with a superintelligent AI.
Digital games frequently depict the aforementioned topics. In the contribution proposed here, we will focus on space travel and how a society who survived the end of Earth is shown in Starfield (2023, Bethesda Softworks). In Starfield, Earth has lost its magnetosphere and has become an uninhabitable desert; billions have died in this apocalypse. The few survivors have spread out into space and live in societies that can be classified somewhere between superficially friendly proto-fascism and libertarian Wild West anarchy.
The thesis of the proposed talk is that Starfield and other space themed games are promoting a libertarian longtermist’s dream world, which does fit more the space fantasies of the 20th century than today’s real challenges (such as the climate catastrophe). Although these games may still provoke thinking about existential questions on a personal level, in general they do not realize the potential of science fiction which is to ask and discuss relevant questions for today.
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