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Democracy Quote by Yuval Noah Harari

“What’s the point of having democratic elections when the algorithms know not only how each person is going to vote, but also the underlying neurological reasons why one person votes Democrat while another votes Republican? Whereas humanism commanded: ‘Listen to your feelings!’ Dataism now…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari
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““What’s the point of having democratic elections when the algorithms know not only how each person is going to vote, but also the underlying neurological reasons why one person votes Democrat while another votes Republican? Whereas humanism commanded: ‘Listen to your feelings!’ Dataism now commands: ‘Listen to the algorithms! They know how you feel.’ When””

Yuval Noah Harari

About This Quote

Source Interview: The Future of Humanity, 2023

The quote critiques the rise of data‑driven decision‑making, suggesting that algorithms now claim to understand voters’ neurological motives, supplanting human intuition.

In simple terms: Algorithms claim to know voting motives, challenging human intuition.

Key Takeaway

Question the influence of data on democratic processes.

Themes

technology democracy dataism humanism politics

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

  • election analysis
  • policy making
  • public debate
  • ethical review

Key Concepts

algorithmic prediction neurological profiling data governance

Questions to Reflect On

  • How should societies balance algorithmic insight with human judgment?
  • What safeguards protect personal autonomy?
A Different Perspective

Data reliance may overlook human agency and privacy concerns.

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