The Long Shadow of Fatalism: a Philosophical Speculation on Forster\u2019s \u201cthe Machine Stops\u201d (1909) on the Disintegration of Technologically Advanced Societies Back Then and Today

Peter Seele

doi:10.1007/s40926-021-00165-1

Abstract

EM Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops” from 1909 is widely reread and discussed again for some ten years as it portrays a science-fiction world resting on similar technological advancements as today in the digital era. Also management literature reviewed the short story with regard to centralized decision making, rationality and totalitarianism. I argue instead, that the main theme of the short story is – in Forster’s own words – the closing of a civilization in times of transition and facing major challenges. I built the argument by original quotes from Forster and by portraying the years 1906–9, when Forster developed the short story. This era before the Great War starting in 1914 was characterized by euphoric ‘futurism’ based on groundbreaking innovations like ‘long distance messaging’, ‘penny post’, ‘animated films’, Ford’s assembly line, ‘Olivetti typewriter’, ‘feature film’, ‘large ships’ and ‘air transportation’ – the ingredients of the short story as I argue. At the same time these acquitted years were characterized by increasing disintegration, instability, rebellions and a financial crisis with bailout programs. Based on the analogy and as part of speculative philosophy I reconstruct the current great challenges with Forster’ shadow of fatalism and arrive at the urgency to put more effort in addressing and researching pathways out of the crisis and towards stabilization of business and society.

Highlights

EM Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops” from 1909 is widely reread and discussed again for some ten years as it portrays a science-fiction world resting on similar technological advancements as today in the digital era
I argue – with Forster himself and e.g. Thompson (2018) – that algorithmic decision making as main line of reception is not the main argument of the short story, but more of an emergent sub-theme enabled in recent years by the visionary power of Forster – and the technological advancements of our time
The term “machine” may be seen as a pars-pro-toto science fiction concept of the dissolving society in the times before the Great War, similar to the atmosphere described in Thomas Mann’s description of pre-war Europe in “The Magic Mountain” (“Der Zauberberg”, writing started in 1912) or Herrmann Hesse’s “Demian” (Hesse 1919), just to mention two Nobel prize awarded fiction authors, who began their work on the texts before the Great War started in 1914

Summary

Introduction

EM Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops” from 1909 is widely reread and discussed again for some ten years as it portrays a science-fiction world resting on similar technological advancements as today in the digital era. A recent management theory paper on algorithmic decision making is building on “The Machine Stops” (Lindebaum et al 2019) and is in line with reviews (Alfred 2010; Thompson 2018) of the relaunch of Forster’s short story in the recent years linking the short story to recent developments of the digital transformation and how it impacts business and society at large.

Results

Conclusion