Historian Jill Lepore says Elon Musk takes a lot of inspiration from science fiction.
Pool / Getty Images
hide captions
switch captions
Pool / Getty Images
Historian Jill Lepore says Elon Musk takes a lot of inspiration from science fiction.
Pool / Getty Images
By Elon Musk offer attention to Twitter is the latest in a series of high-stakes moves against the world’s richest man. Musk has established himself as a flamboyant CEO who has garnered attention from a horde of fans while also generating controversy.
But he’s more than a celebrity – he’s arguably the author and avatar of a new political economy. That’s how Harvard University historian Jill Lepore explains her importance in a new podcast series, Evening rocket.
In an interview with All things ConsideredLepore discusses the origins of Musk’s vision, his fondness for science fiction, and what “Muskism” means in modern times.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Highlights of the interview
On Muskism and Extreme Capitalism
I think of Muskism as an extreme, extravagant form of capitalism, truly extraterrestrial capitalism. I think [extreme capitalism] is a type of unregulated capitalism that assumes that the government really has no role to play in regulating economic activity, on a practical level. On a cultural level, it is really tied to selling the public to the idea of futurism as a way to impose economic conditions rooted in the very deep past.
I think about Muskism and its vision for colonization of Mars that dates back to the imperialist era when British empires were dominating countries around the world and sci-fi writers like H.G. Wells pointed to British imperialism by telling stories about space colonies and how it would be wrong to take other people’s land and enslave the people there.
And for Musk, you can somehow revive those stories to justify colonization. So Muskism has always had within it this extreme capitalism, there has always been a sort of irony twist within it. Like, “You think this sucks? We’ll go back to a time when things were worse.”
How Musk’s love of science fiction translates into his vision of the future of technology
As a historian, one of the things I find incredibly fascinating about Musk and Muskism is how much invention fantasy, especially “disruptive innovation,” prides itself on being part of the futurist culture. Everything is about looking to the future and letting go of the past – in fact rejecting the past, because you really have to always start over.
But much of what Silicon Valley’s culture has created has its roots in science fiction, I think a lot of them will realize for themselves. But what they won’t see is that the origins of science fiction are actually the origins of outdated science fiction.
On whether Musk considers himself Tony Stark in real life
I think there was a period in his life where he actually became Iron Man and became Tony Stark, and the press loved it and he was on the cover of every magazine. He appeared in one of the Iron Man movies with Robert Downey Jr. So he has a sort of iconic celebrity status. I mean, he’s the one who SNL, it’s correct? And that’s part of the masculinity that “The Musketeer” really loves about him.
Elon Musk joins Iron Man 2
YouTube
He can be very funny. He can be very witty online. He is an extremely intelligent person. And there’s a playfulness around that. One of the unique things about Musk, in the sense that he’s the best in the field, is describing your product as saving humanity. This also became a thing in Musk’s early years. Even bidding on Twitter in Musk’s language is somehow saving civilization.
On Musk’s political views and wishes for Twitter
I think Musk’s politics are elusive for a reason. And I think the best way to explore them is to see what he has to say about science fiction. You know, Musk grew up in South Africa, under the apartheid regime, and left to avoid serving in the military that enforced that regime. He passed away when he was 17 years old.
But his favorite book as a child was Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which he considers almost a kind of guide to living, a kind of his bible. But Hitchhiker’s Guide, a radio play presented by BBC Radio 4, is truly an indictment of luxury capitalism. So somehow he’s super comfortable and almost feels amused, I think, in passing a trusted audience that he wants to do good in the world.
Musk offered to buy Twitter, but the company did “poison” approach to stop moving.
Richard Drew / AP
hide captions
switch captions
Richard Drew / AP
So I think trying to deduce what Musk is looking for when trying to buy Twitter, you should be looking for evidence of other public spirit activities. There really isn’t much evidence that his big priority is a healthy, democratic society. So I think you could probably put the package type on that package aside and ask yourself: What does he really want, apart from more attention from Twitter?
