** All watched over by machines of loving Grace is a 2011 three part documentary series created by filmmaker and historian Adam Curtis. The documentary series explores a genealogy of computer technology: its unfulfilled promises, slipages and contributions to greater societal normalization.
Episode 1: “Love and Power”
This episode examines the influence of Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy on American financial markets, particularly through Alan Greenspan, who became an advocate for deregulated markets supported by computer modeling. The Californian Ideology: a techno-utopian belief in decentralized societal control via computer networks, arose from Rand’s ideas, particularly in Silicon Valley. However, Curtis critiques this as a flawed system that contributed to speculative bubbles, the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and ultimately the 2007–08 global financial meltdown. Curtis argues that this techno-utopian vision commodified individuality and concentrated power within corporations, failing to deliver the promised stability and freedom.
Episode 2: “The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts”
This episode explores how ecological theories of balance, influenced by cybernetics and systems theory, led to a mechanistic view of nature. Curtis traces these ideas to Arthur Tansley and the Odum brothers, whose simplified ecological models ignored the instability of real-world systems. Attempts to apply these concepts to human societies, such as communes and the Club of Rome’s predictions of collapse, also faltered. Curtis critiques the myth of self-regulating systems, showing that both ecological and societal networks can devolve into chaos without addressing structural power dynamics. He concludes that while networks may facilitate change, they lack the capacity to create stable futures.
Episode 3: “The Monkey in the Machine and the Machine in the Monkey”
The final episode focuses on the “selfish gene” theory, which portrays humans as gene-driven machines. Curtis explores the consequences of this deterministic view, including its role in explaining violence, altruism, and societal structures. The episode also examines the colonial history of Rwanda and Congo, linking ethnic conflicts to myths perpetuated during Belgian rule. Curtis critiques figures like Dian Fossey and Bill Hamilton, whose work, while groundbreaking, often reflected underlying fatalistic or elitist philosophies. The series closes by questioning whether humanity’s acceptance of these fatalistic narratives, such as the gene-as-machine metaphor, undermines our ability to effect meaningful change.
Curtis combines archival footage, interviews, and historical narratives to present his argument, drawing parallels between technological, ecological, and societal systems. Critics have praised the series for its thought-provoking content but also noted its sometimes overwhelming complexity and lack of detailed solutions. Ultimately, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace challenges viewers to rethink their reliance on technological systems and deterministic ideologies, urging a reconsideration of human agency and the potential for societal transformation.**