The U.K.’s Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, has slammed Apple and its co-founder Steve Jobs for creating an egocentric and selfish consumer society that has only led to unhappiness. He claims the company’s advertising methods only make shoppers aware of what they don’t own, and he singled out Apple for creating a culture in which people only care about themselves. What hypocritical nonsense.
It’s unclear why Lord Sacks has taken a stab at Apple in particular, but speaking at an interfaith reception attended by the Queen this week, he said:
The consumer society was laid down by the late Steve Jobs coming down the mountain with two tablets, iPad one and iPad two, and the result is that we now have a culture of iPod, iPhone, iTune, i, i, i. When you’re an individualist, egocentric culture and you only care about ‘i’, you don’t do terribly well.
He went on to criticize Apple’s “subtly seductive” approaches to advertising:
If in a consumer society, through all the advertising and subtly seductive approaches to it, you’ve got an iPhone but you haven’t got a fourth generation one, the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness.
Of course, Apple isn’t the only company who uses this approach to lure consumers into purchasing its latest products. In fact, it’s hard to think of a company that doesn’t do this. But why this creates unhappiness is a bit of a mystery to me.
A spokesman for Lord Sacks later attempted to clarify his comments:
The Chief Rabbi meant no criticism of either Steve Jobs personally or the contribution Apple has made to the development of technology in the 21st century.
He admires both and indeed uses an iPhone and an iPad on a daily basis. The Chief Rabbi was simply pointing out the potential dangers of consumerism when taken too far.
So despite his criticism, Lord Sacks uses an iPhone and an iPad on a “daily basis.” Maybe he chose to slam Apple, then, because he’s still gutted we haven’t seen the iPhone 5 yet.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
153 responses to “iPhone-Using Rabbi Slams Apple And Steve Jobs For Creating Egocentric, Selfish Society”
Stupid.. This guy doesnt know what the fuck hes talking about.
This contemporary Pharisee is totally off the rails and is most likely talking more about himself and his own unhappy existence.
No product ever made anyone “happy” or otherwise. Problem is, many don’t know what exactly happiness is. Though it admittedly varies person to person, the essential character of happiness is the “successful journey” or even just the contemplation thereof.
He’s got Apple products literally in hand and yet he doesn’t “get it.” That’s what’s really sad.
Yes, products that enable us all to communicate better, more efficiently, and more frequently are breaking up society into a group of “individualists.” Sheesh.
Well, Rabbi, you succeeded in one respect: you got your 15 minutes of fame in the egocentric media spotlight.
Just another nobody laying into Apple to get themselves noticed. How egocentric is that?
Bet the Liz thought he was a jerk :)
Rabbi Sacks:
You’re an idiot!
Just another politician looking the get his name in the news by name dropping iProducts. Something tells me Lord Sacks didn’t claw his way to the top by being a selfless, anti-materialistic monk.
Just another retard.
Ignorance is a bliss, and while people accuse products of creating egocentric society, is just a proof of what self-egocentric the society has been today, but not because of apple products, but because of the “ego” education.
I recommend this rabi to step out of his religious world (which helps a lot to the “ego” society), and watch a well documented series from Adam Curtis, it is called the century of the self. It is available in youtube, and I believe he would learn a lot.
If Apple products causes egocentric society, as well … his speeches create an ignorant society.
P.S.: He should be more concerned how religion took the ignorance to the 21st century.
He’s got a point but it’s wrapped up in such a poorly informed world view that it comes out the other end sounding like the rantings of a mad man.
I think his point about the consumer society is right to a degree, we are obsessed as a culture, with possessions, but it’s not a recent development, this has been driven by human nature for a long time and accelerated exponentially during the post war era in the 50’s. It’s the governments and large companies of the 50’s that got us hooked, in particular the USA and we’ve been going the same way ever since.
To try and hand this on one man and one company is silly to say the least. I think he lazily, went for the ‘i’ moniker because it was an easy, literal target that ties the whole thing together. Misjudged to say the least.
Sorry about the typo – should be – Bet Liz thought he was a jerk
He’s so stupid xD
Yeah consumerism is the greatest ill in society. No, the biggest issue is people. People who are unwilling to admit responsibility for any of their own actions. If you are unhappy because you don’t own enough stuff then thats your own fault. People don’t need help from corporations to be self serving *****.
nice teeth…
The geezer, using the “slang-ish Yiddish,” is a putz!
There are so many ways to pick holes in this guys speech. Here’s just one. In my view Apple products have always been used by creative people. To my mind, creativity is about giving or sharing with the world. Religion on the other hand, is all about division from where I’m standing.
iDon’t know what his deal is, but iThink he really needs to take it down a iNotch. iLike my iPhone, iPad and iMac. ;-)
well said. These devices connect people, reinforcing the importance of community, not individualism.
well said. These devices connect people, reinforcing the importance of community, not individualism.
In this case ‘clarification’ means ‘backpedaling’. The Rabbi did in fact pick on Apple and then realized that he had pissed off a lot of folks who aren’t going to give him the time of day especially when they find out that he himself uses the very ‘tools of the devil’ he was shouting about
Not to mention that many folks are still a bit raw on the notion of negative talk about Steve Jobs as ‘disrespecting the dead’
Basically this gentleman had a potentially good point to make about obsessive consumerism and picked the wrong way to make his point (never focus on one product or company) and he’s going to get called out over it. A lot.
Right.
The leader of a male dominated, hugely xenophobic, insular and selfish group of folks who think they are the “chosen” people of the earth is telling us that the modern world is too selfish and people are too concerned with their own affairs to the detriment of others?
Ha-Ha.
The hole in your argument is the nonsense like line scalpers, etc. The want for these products is causing folks to do a lot of immoral if not illegal things. If there wasn’t the want, such activities wouldn’t be happening.
That said, it isn’t the products that created the want. The want was there waiting for something to latch onto and Apple just happened to create the thing at the right time to be THE product. But the whole fancy car, high priced jeans etc world has been around well before Apple released the first iPhone.
He thinks that the ‘i’ in iPhone, iPad is the first person singular, THIS is why he singles out Apple and talks about people being egocentric. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t mean what he thinks it means. When the iMac was launched, IIRC the “i” stood for Internet?
His name is “Sacks.”
…I’ve nothing further to add.
buy facebook fans now baby
“Selfish”? “Xenophobic”? Please explain. This should be good.
useless comment…
(and pretty normal teeth)
I suggest people re-read the Old Testament to see what people like Lord Sacks actually believe in and whether you want to take them at all seriously on moral issues.
Who the hell gave this moron a peerage? Just another un-elected religious fanatic telling us what to do think and say.
Jews don’t have monks, or are you even more ignorant about world religions than “Professor Peabody” on this thread?
Pardon me for jumping to the conclusion that you’re a clueless anti-Semite. You sure write like one.
And your point is … ?
I’m not sure what’s more regrettable – that Lord Sacks opened himself to ridicule in his remarks or that people here are using his cluelessness to engage in casual anti-Semitism. He does have a point about the self-centeredness of contemporary society, although technology in general contributed to that, not just Apple products.
Have you really never heard the term “monk” used as a metaphor are you just trolling for a fight?
Society – as it is populated by human beings – is inherently predisposed to both Selfishness and Egotism. You can find historical evidence of both throughout history in every society, religion and nationality.
The only thing Lord Sacks has shown is how arrogant, egotistical and ignorant HE is.
You didn’t jump to that conclusion. You were pushed to it what is obvious, blatant anti-Semitism–all the classical tropes. Notice, too, how many likes Peabody got in just the first hour. Nice site you got here, COM.
Moral issues? You mean history’s first codification of a moral code?
Anti-Semitism…stfu. Most of my Grandfather’s family have disappeared into mass graves. Don’t make this about some agenda of yours in which it’s not. Anyone can be criticised. People here seem to be criticising religion in general. Learn to make the distinction.
Now you did it: here come the inevitable Thought Police below. You can criticise any religion but that one, didn’t you know that?
Retract the flaming apples people. Religion often employs hyperbole to make a point. Jonathan probably used Apple as his mischaracterized example because he, like many of us, LOVES the stuff. You can even download his official app from Apple’s own App Store. He really has done a lot to keep Judaism relevant in an increasingly interdependent and globalized world. He is an advocate for diversity and mutual respect. It’s unfortunate that this attempt at “relating” fell so flat. It has, no doubt, needlessly undermined his life’s work among many of the iFaithful.
jews will be jews…
There is nothing ‘moral’ about the Old Testament. Mr Sacks is in titled to his opinions and just like any of us is free to believe in whatever he wants to. I just ask he and other like him keep it out of my government.
You mean you don’t find “stoning a woman to death for adultery while the male has to ‘pay his wife’s father for the same offence'” moral?? Mosaic law should be upheld as a modern example to all misogynists!
I’m not going to fuel the flame here, but for the record everything I said was a quote from a famous Jew. Look it up.
Good, glad someone finally said how selfish and ego centric this world is!
That’s criticism? Wow. So here’s a thought experiment for you, Jay, since you believe you’re being patrolled by the thought police: Jay Alan Goodwin says something that I think is stupid. But instead of focusing my counterargument on the substance of what Jay says, I write this: “The head of a foolish, bigoted family of complete friggin’ douchebaggy Goodwins that thinks they’re God’s gift to the world and their shit doesn’t stink thinks they have a right to comment on what other people say to each other makes me sick, and I hate him and them all.” And you’re okay with that?
why do you immediatly call this ‘hypocritical nonsense’?! He makes a good point, and if you would open your eyes and mind, and not blocking every Apple-criticism, you would see why.
Get real. Judaism places the revelation of the Torah at 1312 BCE; historically, the Old Testament was actually written down sometime between 800-600 BCE. The codes of Ur, Eshunna, Lipit-Ishtar and Hammurabi go back to 1800 BCE. Egyptian codes go back even further.
And while the Old Testament was written with its ideology of racial supremacy and live sacrifices, other moral codes already included ideas of tolerance, universal equality, non-violence, and compassion. The Old Testament was a gigantic step backwards in the moral development of humanity.
Seriously? You’re taking an academic’s quote out of context to substantiate your bigotry? You can have only learned that, and gotten the quote, from one of those crazed “ZOG” sites.
Here’s the equivalent of what you did. I am now going to use JFK’s inaugural speech to substantiate anti-Americanism. “Ask not…what you can do for your country.”
Don’t worry, it’s not the honor you think it is. For heaven sake, they gave one to Conrad Black.
Well said.
What you interpret as “anti-semitism” is just people getting tired of the moral errors and proclamations of all Abrahamic religions. Bishops Williamson or Williams would have been in for the same criticism as Sacks.
Preach whatever you want to your flocks. But if you presume to tell others that they are morally and spiritually wrong, don’t complain when they tell you that you are morally and spiritually wrong.
What you interpret as “anti-semitism” is just people getting tired of the moral errors and proclamations of all Abrahamic religions. Bishops Williamson or Williams would have been in for the same criticism as Sacks.
Preach whatever you want to your flocks. But if you presume to tell others that they are morally and spiritually wrong, don’t complain when they tell you that you are morally and spiritually wrong.
“…and I hate him and them all.”
Where the fuck did you read anything remotely like that? Stop being such a reactionary digging for things to whine about.
You’re butt-hurt because someone criticised your religion. The End. No need for your thought experiments, internet-arguments, or any other games you likely have in mind. I post my name and likeness to my comments because I’m going to try my best not to make my stupid comments in complete cowardice and anonymity.
Read my comment above about my Grandfather’s entire family. Do you really think there’s something similar between running ones trap about another’s family -and- criticising a religion in general?
According to Wikipedia he’s been on this “consumerism” rant since at least 2009 as a way to keep British Orthodox Jews in the fold and not straying to secularism. Could this whole Apple criticism be self serving cheap publicity?
Xenophobic, insular, and selfish aren’t criticisms; they’re calumnies. And they’re demonstrably untrue. Check, for example, the Nobel prize list in the sciences, medicine, arts, and economics.
My analogy was perfectly appropriate to your comment on Peabody’s post. It was the reductio ad absurdum.
As for your grandfather’s family–so what? The greatest anti-Semite of our time is a Jew: George Soros. And besides, you’re not Jewish. What consequence is it here? Believe me, if Peabody or you or anyone else had decided to say all blacks are idiots because the black president of the United States thinks they speak “Austrian” in Austria or that there are 57 states in the U.S., I’d call him on that, too.
Does this rabi know about the egocentric society in Israel?
Can you even call a Jew a Jew?
“hugely xenophobic, insular and selfish group of folks who think they are the “chosen” people of the earth” is an example of someone who’s tired of all Abrahamic religions? You must be joking. Either that, or you’re so used to the kind of ordinary anti-Semitism that is apparently more widespread than I thought, you hardly even notice it.
Am I “not Jewish” because you somehow know my ancestry or because you’ve chosen to exclude my internet-likeness from your exclusive club?
Whether I agree or not with Peabody’s opinions is immaterial. He has the right to express them. But since you somehow know the ethnicity of “mein Großvaters” family, I suppose it would be “so what?” to you. Apparently only Jews suffered in those times?I know what language the Austrians and 60% of the Swiss speak. It doesn’t mean everyone else who’ve never been there will. Go to Australia and see how keen they are on such matters. Ask someone in New Zealand what language they speak in Belgium before Googling it.
You’re not special…Jewish or not. Why don’t you go set up your little soapbox on a site more relevant to your pet peeves and agendas? “Ga, ga, goo, goo, someone on a tech site doesn’t like Judaism!” Don’t throw your sippy-cup too far from your high chair.
Now who’s “butt-hurt”? Apparently, Jay, you forgot to take your lithium today. First, you accuse me of being the “thought police” for calling someone on his bigotry. But then you tell me to get off the site…after saying that Peabody “has the right” to express his opinions. Not me, though, right? You are one seriously unhinged MFer, that’s for sure.
Btw, I loved the whole Austrian/New Zealand/”only Jews suffered” rant. But what did it have to with a single thing I said?
“…because the black president of the United States thinks they speak “Austrian” in Austria…” Do you remember the shit you pound off on your little keyboard or what? You’re going to pound your rattle on your high chair tray and not comprehend responses to your statements to the effect of “fuck you and your grandfather’s family because I somehow know he’s not a Jew and therefore their mass murder was not important.”
Done trolling? Have you won your internet argument for the day? Or do you still have some ad hominems or assumptions of my ethnicity left?
Someone didn’t think the way you do regarding your religion on the internet. Since you can’t have the Massad go to their homes and shoot them where they sit, you’re going to sit and pick your little cyberfights. Why don’t you go take up a fight with the guy who debunked your little comment about Mosaic law being the first historical moral code? Answer: because you’re full of shit and incapable of backing up your supposed “facts” so you’d rather participate in name-calling and assumptions about others.
CassandraLite, Peabody was echoing Sacks’s language to make a point. I’m glad this made you realize how offensive and inappropriate Sacks’s statement was.
And your spurious charges of anti-semitism devalue the memory and suffering of the millions killed during the holocaust. Cut it out.
If I believed in an imaginary god, she would be laughing at this right now…
Well, first of all, I merely pointed out (as everyone with average reading skills could see) that it would be wrong to condemn all blacks because the President of the United States thinks that the language of Austrian is Austrian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v… Ergo, to refer to all Jews as whatever Peabody said prima facie evidence of anti-Semitism.
Second, the other guy didn’t disprove my contention; he challenged it without proof. All of Western civ is based on Mosaic law, which was, after all, my point.
Third, in the year 2011, I’m still surprised by how vicious anti-Semites can be. Btw, you spelled Mossad wrong. I called my Uncle Hymie, who’s head of the underground Madison branch. As soon as he gets back from this week’s World Domination Meeting, he’ll be over soon to say hello. He speaks German, too, so you’ll feel safe.
As for picking little cyberfights, you still haven’t explained why I’m supposed to go somewhere else–a statement you just implied yet again–but Peabody is entitled to his/her opinion.
what about Hummers? aren’t they selfish? and most of all, NOT environmentally friendly
As usual…
Imorons & istupid defend APPLE…
What’s NEW???
” He claims the company’s advertising methods only make shoppers aware of what they don’t own…” Okay, so other advertizers make shoppers aware of things they already own ??? Apparently Rabbinical schools do not provide ANY training in marketing. Rule # 1 in all marketing:Create in consumers need/desire for your product ( surely because they DO NOT ALREADY HAVE IT ) !!!
the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness.
Yep people faced with religious violence during the Inquisition didn’t endure this much unhappiness, nor the families of 9/11 victims killed in the name of god, nor the women who are denied birth control while their rabbi husbands bonk on add infinitum.
Just why should I listen to a man who has no mandate to represent anyone and who thinks chopping off the end of a baby’s dick is necessary for religious reason.
he’s not wrong. The entire i line is designed to makes you unhappy if you dont have the next one. My GF was furious when i was so bent out of shape for not having the ipod4g (in my defense, it was what i had been waiting for since the phone came out.)
but you cant flame these things AS YOU USE THEM DAILY. It comes across less as an intelligent anouncment, and more like you needed to push out another rant to stay relevant.
Umm, some guy said “Jews will be Jews”
Who says they’re hugely xenophobic? Jews have integrated with every society they’ve emigrated into it – Australia, America, New Zealand, etc, usually becoming politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc, in those societies. They’re not xenophobic.
I love how, because you were brought up to hate Jews, you see nothing wrong with it. You even deny it, when it’s so blatant.
Lizzy is a cunt. The sooner her and Thatcher die, the better.
Perhaps it was just a compliment.
I don’t get butthurt when I see an apple ad, or when they bring out a faster, shinier product. Anyone that does has some issues they need to work through, u mad rabbi?
No my good fellow, morality is a polar concept. Stoning women for cheating is what’s called ‘being immoral’ get the distinction? So please stop disagreeing with our friend Allan, he’s on your side.
Umm, did you notice that was above these comments and chronologically after ours??
I can’t italicise my comments here, so sorry you obviously missed the sarcasm which was essentially agreement.