Atlantis and Human Hubris

Written By: Sridevi Hariharan
Graphic By: Aruna Muthupillai

Humans today use technology akin to godlike power overpowering us, and this raises timeless questions about its unintended ethical consequences. Advancements may have the potential to push towards progress, but the problems they could create, such as the generation of electronic waste, resource depletion, and environmental strain cannot be ignored. Right now, the rise of AI has totally transformed society, but is being debated on privacy and bias. Technology has lifted many out of poverty, but distribution of its benefits still is uneven, as the wealthiest reap the greatest benefits while others struggle to meet basic needs. The invention of social media has connected billions of people across the globe, but has also played a part in
polarization, cyberbullying, social isolation, and mental health concerns.

Could it be that technology, in one way, represents the misguided hubris of humanity? If so, why do we continue to embrace it? Does it make us feel powerful to ruin things right in front of us? Or are we indifferent? Was it always in our nature to self-destruct? Was it an accident? Was it learned behavior? Is there a way out? When considering all the problems that technology has brought and will bring to the table, whether big or small, it’s quite important to note that its development was thousands of years in the making and much discussed across every culture and era. Plato’s dialogues, for instance, in the Timaeus and the unfinished work, Critias, describes the civilization of Atlantis, which he says supposedly once was larger than that of
Libya and Asia, before being tragically sunk by an earthquake. Perhaps this civilization is an analogy of the fallout of human corruption.

When I think of the name Atlantis, which is also known as The Island of Atlas in Greek, the first thought that enters my mind is of the Atlantic Ocean rather than a city upholding technological excellence. Yet when taking into account its fabled numerous temples, palaces, harbors, bridges, canal architectures, and powerful military to boot, Atlantis could be construed as a hub of innovation at the time, making its downfall worth analyzing. In Greek mythology, Atlantis is said to be an island of fertile plains and mountains granted to the god Poseidon, where he settled his people. One of his children, Atlas, became its king and helped the island’s civilization to fend for itself with several minerals in its earth, animals on its land, and gifts from foreign lands. Time passed by as Atlantis thrived with the divinity gained from the gods, but according to Plato, human nature eventually overwhelmed its people. Corrupted by greed and avarice, they abandoned their principles and became the opposite of the ideal society described in Plato’s The Republic. Plato’s recount abruptly ends with Zeus deciding to punish them, suggesting the city’s subsequent destruction to the reader.

Now, regardless of whether Atlantis’s downfall was based on actual history or is just a mere myth (although this is highly debated as well; some think that Plato was inspired by events such as the volcanic eruption of Thera, the Trojan War, or the earthquake that submerged the polis Helike), is there a lesson that could be taken from it? Some might merely fault the gods, or geophysics, but what if it is also in fact a metaphor for human hubris? What stands out to me right now is that Atlantis, this marvelous city, was destroyed by a natural disaster, and moreover due to the moral failings of humanity. Maybe this was a warning that no society, no matter how materially advanced, should attempt to impose their will without considering ethical consequences. What happens when they prioritize greed and ambition over harmony and responsibility? Exploitation of resources and environmental destruction may very well follow. Just as Atlantis, blessed by the gods, eventually collapsed under the weight of its own greed and arrogance, maybe Plato’s point was that modern civilizations could crumble if they do not keep their ambitions in check.