Ontological Insecurity: How Urban Precarity Transforms Human Being
Contemporary urban life, designed and dictated by the machinery of capitalism, has profoundly altered the essence of what it means to be human. Cities and towns, far from being havens of progress and opportunity, have become environments fraught with precariousness and alienation. The human experience within these landscapes is one of constant existential fragility: losing a home, a job, or one’s wellbeing can happen with alarming ease, exposing the deep-rooted insecurities of capitalist systems. In stark contrast, the natural instincts and autonomy preserved by communities in untouched jungles or remote tribes provide a powerful perspective for critiquing the dehumanising effects of industrialised societies. These divergent realities illuminate a profound shift in the human condition —one that I describe as a transformation from homo sapiens to homo robot.
Urban Precarity and Ontological Insecurity
Cities, the epitome of capitalist progress, present a double-edged sword. They entice with promises of comfort and progress but demand rigid conformity and unyielding labor. Housing, commodified and tied to financial stability, becomes a source of anxiety as the fear of homelessness looms large. A single unforeseen event —an unexpected medical bill, or a job loss— can propel individuals into the uncertainty of displacement. Employment, often precarious and dehumanising, shifts from being a source of fulfilment to merely a means of survival. The ease with which one can be reduced to a statistic in the relentless churn of corporate efficiency underscores the fragility of modern life.
The fragility of this existence erodes ontological security, which, as Laing explains in The Divided Self (1960), is the sense of stability and continuity in life that anchors one's being. Ontological security is rooted in the assurance that one’s existence is stable, meaningful, and grounded within a coherent reality. Urban precarities —housing insecurity, unstable employment, and relentless societal pressures— strip away this assurance. In cities, the relentless pressures of performance and survival push individuals into states of anxiety and disconnection. The mental toll manifests in deteriorating well-being, as many turn to drugs —not from weakness, but as a desperate response to a system offering little respite. The lack of free time —a basic human need— further intensifies the erosion of self as leaving no room for rest or reflection. In this ceaseless cycle, individuals sacrifice their time, creativity, and autonomy in pursuit of the fleeting illusions the capitalist world constructs.
The Loss of Natural Instincts and Survival Skills
In this mechanised world, humans have become distant from their natural instincts. The very traits that once defined homo sapiens —adaptability, resilience, and a deep connection to nature— have been dulled. For many, survival now depends not on personal ingenuity or communal support but on navigating bureaucratic systems and technological infrastructures. The ability to build shelter, find food, and resist threats independently has been replaced by dependence on systems that often fail to prioritise human dignity.
This detachment is not universal. Indigenous communities, jungle dwellers, and certain tribal groups have preserved their connection to nature and instinct. These "jungle people," as I call them, embody a profound resistance to the forces of commodification. They still build their own houses, live symbiotically with their environment, and remain fearless in the face of power. Their autonomy and connection to the natural world shield them from the existential fears that plague urban dwellers.
Homo Robot: The Cost of Comfort
The typical human in capitalist structures has traded their freedom for their comfort. The conveniences of technology, the allure of consumer goods, and the promise of economic stability have come at the cost of autonomy, creativity, and resilience. This new human archetype, homo robot, functions within systems designed for control and efficiency rather than liberation. Bound by rules, taxes, police surveillance, and societal expectations, homo robot lives a life defined by compliance and consumption.
Unlike homo sapiens, who thrived in their adaptability and connection to the natural world, homo robot is deeply vulnerable. The structures that provide comfort can just as easily crumble, leaving individuals unequipped to navigate crises independently. Fear becomes a constant companion —fear of losing one’s job, home, or sense of self— further entrenching dependence on the very systems that perpetuate only insecurity.
Jungle People: A Glimpse of Freedom
The jungle people offer an alternative vision of humanity in our century. Unburdened by the constructs of modernity, they live in harmony with nature and embody a freedom that urban societies can scarcely imagine. Their lives are not dictated by external authorities or abstract systems but by their relationship with the environment and each other. They do not fear the collapse of systems because they are the system— they build, adapt, and resist with a self-reliance that homo robot has lost.
This freedom extends beyond survival; it is a freedom from the existential anxieties of capitalist life. Jungle people are not plagued by concerns about taxes, security, or corruption. Their connection to the natural world anchors them in a reality that prioritises community, sustainability, and resilience over profit and efficiency.
A Call to Reclaim Humanity
The contrast between urban people (homo robot) and jungle people reveals the profound cost of modernity. The ontological insecurity of urban life is not an inevitability but a product of systems that prioritise profit over people. To reclaim our humanity, we must reconnect with the instincts, skills, and values that defined our species for millennia. This does not mean rejecting progress but reimagining it in a way that centres autonomy, community, and harmony with nature.
By learning from those who have resisted the pull of industrialised systems, we can begin to rebuild a sense of self that is not defined by fear and dependence but by freedom and resilience. Only then can we move beyond the constraints of homo robot and rediscover what it means to be truly human.