Breakpoint: Humanity isn’t a problem to solve; technology needs a telos


Pixar’s “Wall-E” has proven to be among the most profound and prophetic films of the last 20 years. After hopelessly polluting the Earth and leaving an army of robots to clean up the planet, humans now live aboard a giant ship built by a company that promises to take care of all its passengers’ needs. Thus, humans are left with nothing to do but amuse themselves and eat a lot.

Many Christians wrote off the Pixar classic because of its hyper-environmentalist message. However, the film’s commentary on human exceptionalism and vocation, specifically the inability of our machines to do our most important work for us, was spot-on. In the world of “Wall-E,” human beings have a purpose, or a telos, that cannot be reduced to maximizing comfort, safety and convenience.

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