Network accelerationism

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Network Accelerationism
Coined by	Remilia Corporation
Related concepts	Network Spirituality, Post-Authorship, Accelerationist Realism, Kali Yuga Accelerationism
Field	Digital philosophy, Techno-spirituality, Network theory

Network Accelerationism is a philosophical concept and cultural approach developed by Charlotte Fang, positing that accelerated networking can augment human cognitive capacity, leading to an ascendant collective consciousness. First emerging as an informal slogan ("Ascend the Network") by Fang in the Miya Black Hearted Cyber Angel Baby persona, the concept was later formalized by Fang as a theoretical framework combining elements of accelerationist philosophy, digital spirituality, and networked knowledge systems.

Network accelerationism positions itself as a response to Accelerationist Realism, offering a more spiritually oriented approach to navigating technological acceleration, in companion with the Radical Love orientation. Recognizing the inevitability of posthuman singularity, it proposes active acceleration in information networking as a path toward collective transcendence. This approach advocates for copyleft, post-authorship, information freedom and network spirituality as key practices.

Concept

At its core, Network Accelerationism proposes that human consciousness is evolving through participation in information networks, with digital technology enabling new forms of connection and cognition that transcend individual limitations. The framework suggests that by accelerating networked information exchange through intentional practices, humans can facilitate an emerging collective consciousness or "noosphere" that represents a higher state of cognitive evolution.

The concept draws from both technological and spiritual sources, blending accelerationist theory with perspectives from thinkers like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose concept of the "noosphere" (a global layer of human thought) and the "Omega Point" (the maximum level of complexity and consciousness toward which evolution progresses) provide philosophical precedent.

Network Accelerationism suggests that through conscious engagement with networked systems, individuals can contribute to a transcendent collective intelligence, achieving a "better path" of posthumanism.

Key principles

Network Accelerationism incorporates several key principles that guide its approach to networked consciousness:

• Decentralized networking: Prioritizing distributed systems over centralized control structures, allowing for more organic forms of connection and information exchange.

• Free information ethos: Advocating for the unrestricted flow of information across networks, reducing artificial barriers to knowledge access and exchange.

• Network spirituality: Viewing network participation as a spiritual practice that enables connection to collective consciousness beyond individual limitations.

• Remix culture: Embracing the recombination of existing information into new forms, fostering creative evolution through iterative information processing.

• Post-authorship: Deemphasizing individual claims to knowledge creation in favor of collective knowledge development, facilitating freer flow of ideas.

• Evolutionary consciousness: Viewing network participation as contributing to a higher-order evolution of human consciousness that transcends biological limitations.

• Augmented cognition: Developing external knowledge systems (memex, exocortex, learning gardens) that extend and enhance human cognitive capabilities.

Theoretical foundations

Network Accelerationism builds upon several theoretical foundations, integrating them into a coherent framework for understanding networked consciousness:

Teilhardian evolution

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's evolutionary theory provides a significant philosophical underpinning for Network Accelerationism. Teilhard, a Jesuit priest and paleontologist, proposed that evolution progresses toward increasing complexity and consciousness, eventually culminating in what he called the "Omega Point" — a state of maximum complexity and consciousness that represents the ultimate goal of evolution.

Network accelerationism adapts Teilhard's concept of the "noosphere" (from Greek "nous" meaning mind) — a sphere of human thought encircling the Earth, analogous to the biosphere of life and the geosphere of inorganic matter. In the context of network accelerationism, the Internet and digital networks are seen as technological manifestations of this noosphere, enabling new forms of connection and collective thinking that were previously impossible.

According to this perspective, by participating in networked systems, humans are contributing to the evolution of this global consciousness, accelerating the development of the noosphere toward an ultimate state of unified consciousness represented by the Omega Point.

Extended cognition

The concept draws from extended cognition theory, which suggests that cognitive processes extend beyond the boundaries of individual brains to include external tools, technologies, and systems. In this view, technologies like writing, computers, and the Internet function as extensions of human cognitive capabilities.

Network accelerationism extends this idea, suggesting that networked digital systems represent a new stage in cognitive extension, enabling forms of collective thinking and knowledge processing that transcend individual cognitive limitations. By developing systems like the memex (a hypothetical electromechanical device for storing and retrieving interconnected information) or digital gardens (public, interconnected note-taking systems), individuals can participate in extended cognitive networks that augment their thinking capabilities.

Practical applications

Network accelerationism is not merely theoretical but has inspired practical approaches to networked information systems and digital tools. These applications embody the philosophy's principles and provide concrete methods for "ascending the network":

Memex and extended knowledge systems

Inspired by Vannevar Bush's concept of the "memex" (a hypothetical device for storing and retrieving interconnected information), Network accelerationism advocates for the development of collective knowledge management systems that extend cognitive capabilities. These systems typically incorporate:

• Bi-directional linking: Connections that work in both directions, allowing ideas to be traced through multiple pathways and contexts.

• Associative indexing: Organizing information based on meaningful associations rather than arbitrary categorization systems.

• Networked thought: Capturing the connections between ideas as a fundamental aspect of knowledge representation.

• Persistent storage: Creating durable external memory systems that complement biological memory.

Modern implementations of these principles include tools like digital gardens, personal wikis, and note-taking applications with networked capabilities. These systems serve as "exocortices" — external cognitive structures that augment the brain's natural capabilities.

Digital gardens and learning networks

Digital gardens represent a contemporary manifestation of network accelerationism's principles. Unlike traditional blogs or websites organized chronologically or hierarchically, digital gardens embrace a more organic, networked approach to information management. Key features include:

• Non-linear organization: Information is structured according to meaningful connections rather than linear sequences or categories.

• Evolving content: Notes and ideas develop over time, with varying levels of refinement (often labeled as "seedlings," "budding," or "evergreen").

• Public learning: Knowledge development occurs in public view, inviting collaboration and shared growth.

• Interconnection: Ideas link to one another extensively, creating a web of knowledge that can be traversed in multiple ways.

These approaches embody network accelerationism's vision of cognitive extension through networked systems, providing concrete methods for individuals to participate in the acceleration of networked consciousness.

Convivial tools

Network accelerationism incorporates Ivan Illich's concept of "convivial tools" — technologies that enhance human autonomy, creativity, and connection rather than creating dependency or centralized control. Convivial tools are characterized by:

• User control: Enabling rather than restricting user agency and understanding.
• Accessibility: Being available to all rather than limited by gatekeepers or artificial scarcity.
• Transparency: Operating according to principles that users can understand and modify.
• Sociality: Fostering connection and cooperation rather than isolation or competition.

In the context of network accelerationism, convivial digital tools facilitate direct participation in networked consciousness without surrendering autonomy to centralized platforms or opaque algorithms.

Connection to Remilia philosophy

Network accelerationism is closely connected to other philosophical concepts developed within the Remilia Corporation ecosystem, particularly network spirituality and post-authorship. These concepts collectively form a cohesive theoretical framework for understanding the spiritual and social dimensions of networked digital technology.

Network Spirituality

Network spirituality is directly related to network accelerationism, providing the spiritual foundation for its approach to network participation. While network accelerationism focuses on the evolutionary and systems-level aspects of networked consciousness, network spirituality addresses the experiential and metaphysical dimensions of network participation.

Network spirituality treats online participation as a spiritual practice—a form of communion with collective consciousness mediated through digital networks. It suggests that the Internet represents not merely a technological infrastructure but a new stage in the development of collective human consciousness, what Teilhard de Chardin would recognize as an emerging noosphere.

Post-Authorship

Post-authorship represents another key component of the network accelerationism framework, addressing the social and creative aspects of networked information exchange. Post-authorship advocates for the dissolution of individual authorship in favor of collective creative consciousness, facilitating the free flow and evolution of ideas across networks.

This approach aligns with network accelerationism's emphasis on network-based cognitive evolution, suggesting that by releasing individual ownership claims, artists and thinkers become more effective agents of memetic evolution, allowing ideas to flow, combine, and evolve without the friction of attribution requirements.

See also

• Network Spirituality
• Post-Authorship
• Accelerationist Realism
• Kali Yuga Accelerationism
• Remilia Chat