Are We Algorithms? A Critical Response to Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus
INTRODUCTION Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow presents a bold, sweeping narrative about the future of humanity. In his widely viewed public lecture promoting the book¹, Harari claims that liberal humanism—with its emphasis on free will and subjective experience—is being replaced by a new worldview grounded in data science and artificial intelligence. Central to his thesis is the assertion that “organisms are algorithms”—that human feelings, decisions, and even consciousness can be reduced to computational processes. Such claims are delivered with rhetorical clarity, but they raise significant philosophical and scientific concerns. Harari draws on contemporary science to support deterministic conclusions about life, thought, and agency. Yet his appeal to “science” often blurs the lines between speculative extrapolation and established fact. This article aims to unpack and interrogate the key claims Harari puts forward, including his reduction of emotion ...
