neo-Luddite

English

Alternative forms

• neo-luddite

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *nu

Proto-Indo-European *néwos

Proto-Hellenic *néwos

Ancient Greek νέος (néos)

Ancient Greek νεο- (neo-)der.

English neo-

English Luddite

English neo-Luddite

From neo- + Luddite.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /niːɒˈlʌdaɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: neo‧Lud‧dite

Adjective

neo-Luddite (comparative more neo-Luddite, superlative most neo-Luddite)

1. (sometimes derogatory) Opposed to technology, in the fashion of the Luddites.
   • 1970, Robert Theobald, The Economics of Abundance: A Non-inflationary Future, page 130:

     One is a neo-Luddite revolt, aiming to destroy machines and machine systems […]

   • 1995, Kirkpatrick Sale, Rebels Against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution, →ISBN, page 254:

     Last along the spectrum comes a diverse set of social critics, activists and intellectuals for the most part, who accept the neo-Luddite label without demur and are consciously working to adapt certain of the Luddite fundamentals to contemporary politics.

   • 2003, Christina Garsten, Helena Wulff, New Technologies at Work: People, Screens and Social Virtuality, page 172:

     One such collection of thoughts is the neo-Luddite spectrum. Not yet an organized movement, the neo-Luddite approach contains multitudes of […]

   • 2004, Peyton Paxson, Media Literacy: Thinking Critically about the Internet, page 17:

     However, as the original Luddites did, a small number of people within the neo-Luddite movement have resorted to criminal activity.

   • 2024 February 2, Brian Merchant, “The New Luddites Aren’t Backing Down”, in The Atlantic‎^[1]:

     Past neo-Luddite movements have, it should be noted, come and gone. In the 1990s, activist writers such as Kirkpatrick Sale called for a neo-Luddism that rejected the computer age altogether, arguing that “a world dominated by the technologies of industrial society is fundamentally more detrimental than beneficial to human happiness and survival.”

   • 2024 February 17, Tom Lamont, “‘Humanity’s remaining timeline? It looks more like five years than 50’: meet the neo-luddites warning of an AI apocalypse”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Nick Hilton, host of a neo-luddite podcast called The Ned Ludd Radio Hour, has invited me over for a cup of tea.

Noun

neo-Luddite (plural neo-Luddites)

1. (sometimes derogatory) One who opposes technology or scientific progress, in the fashion of the Luddites.
   • 1985, Greg Bear, “Blood Music”, in The Collected Stories of Greg Bear, published 2004, page 32:

     "Neo-Luddite," I said to myself. A filthy accusation.

   • 1995 July, Bob Ickes, “Die, Computer, Die!”, in New York, →ISSN, page 24:

     Yet the neo-Luddite resistance is remarkably disparate. Some flee to the woods; others, taking a less courageous stand, are content to dis the microwave oven and cellular phone. But on one major point, neo-Luddites agree: They would loathe computerization even if hordes of unwitting neo-Luddites hadn't suddenly made technophobia so trendy.

   • 2024 February 17, Tom Lamont, “‘Humanity’s remaining timeline? It looks more like five years than 50’: meet the neo-luddites warning of an AI apocalypse”, in The Guardian‎^[3], →ISSN:

     Where a techno-pessimist like Yudkowsky would have us address the biggest-picture threats conceivable […] neo-luddites tend to focus on ground-level concerns. Employment, especially, because this is where technology enriched by AIs seems to be causing the most pain.

Related terms

• neo-Luddism

Translations

One who opposes technology

• French: néo-luddiste m or f
• Spanish: neoludita m or f
• Swedish: neoluddit c

See also

• technophobia
• technopessimism