New Review of Slobodian’s ‘Muskism’ Highlights Critiques of Ideology Behind Elon Musk
A new review in The New York Review has drawn attention to ‘Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed’ (HarperCollins), the newest book by Quinn Slobodian, Professor of International History, and technology writer Ben Tarnoff that examines the worldview and growing influence of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Rather than offering a traditional biography, the authors ask a broader question: not “who is Musk?” but “what is Musk a symptom of?” They argue that Musk represents a larger ideological and economic phenomenon shaping contemporary politics, technology, and capitalism.
The book introduces the concept of “Muskism,” a term Slobodian and Tarnoff use to describe a twenty-first century worldview centered on technological power, privatized infrastructure, and selective visions of progress. Drawing a comparison to the concept of Fordism in the twentieth century, they suggest that Muskism functions as a potential new “operating system” for modern society. In this framework, technological innovation is less about expanding prosperity broadly than about creating what the authors describe as a world of “hard borders and hardened hearts,” where security, autonomy, and opportunity are increasingly concentrated among the few.
A central theme of the book is what Slobodian and Tarnoff call “fortress futurism.” They trace this outlook in part to Musk’s upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, arguing that his vision of technological progress often emphasizes self-sufficiency, control, and insulated systems. The authors also challenge the common portrayal of Musk as a libertarian entrepreneur. Instead, they show how companies such as SpaceX and Tesla have relied heavily on government contracts, subsidies, and public investment, creating a form of private power deeply intertwined with the state. This dynamic has given Musk extraordinary influence over critical infrastructure, from satellite communications to space launches, leading the authors to describe his business model as selling “sovereignty as a service.”
The review also explores Muskism’s relationship to artificial intelligence, social media, and cultural politics. Slobodian and Tarnoff argue that Musk views technology not only as a tool but as a means of reshaping humanity itself, evident in ventures such as Neuralink and his longstanding interest in human-machine integration. At the same time, they connect his rhetoric about the “woke mind virus” to a broader belief that social and political ideas can spread like software through interconnected networks. According to the authors, these concerns reveal a worldview in which technological advancement coexists with increasingly reactionary political ideas.
Ultimately, Muskism presents Elon Musk as more than a singular personality or business leader. Instead, Slobodian and Tarnoff argue that he has become the most visible representative of a broader model of capitalism that combines technological futurism, corporate power, and political influence. As the review concludes, the significance of Muskism lies not only in Musk himself, but in the possibility that this ideology is already helping to shape the economic and political landscape of the twenty-first century.
The full book review can be read here with an account.
To read Slobodian’s featured Q&A on Muskism, see here.
To learn more about Prof. Quinn Slobodian’s work and achievements, visit his faculty profile.