Lasting Legacy of Ted Kaczynski: A Look at the Influence on History

How the contributions of Ted Kaczynski continue to shape the world today.

Theodore Kaczynski, the "Unabomber," was an American mathematician who became a domestic terrorist. After abandoning his academic career in 1969, he adopted a primitive lifestyle. He engaged in a bombing campaign aimed at individuals involved with modern technology, motivated by his rejection of industrial society and its impact on nature and human autonomy. His actions resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. His manifesto, "Industrial Society and Its Future," outlines his anti-technology philosophy, arguing that technology inevitably leads to the erosion of freedom and environmental destruction.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1962: Harvard Alumni Association

In 2012, Kaczynski responded to the Harvard Alumni Association's directory inquiry for the fiftieth reunion of the class of 1962, listing his occupation as "prisoner" and eight life sentences as "awards."

1994: Italian Unabomber

In 1994, the moniker "Unabomber" was applied to the Italian Unabomber, a terrorist who conducted attacks similar to Kaczynski's in Italy from 1994 to 2006.

1996: Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014

From 1996 to 2014, The Labadie Collection, part of the University of Michigan's Special Collections Library, houses Kaczynski's correspondence with over 400 people since his arrest, including replies, legal documents, publications, and clippings in their own sub-collection titled, "Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014 (majority within 1996-2005)".

1996: Writing Analysis

In 1996, Donald Wayne Foster analyzed Kaczynski's writing and concluded that Kaczynski was the author of the manifesto due to irregular spelling and hyphenation.

1996: Unabomber: The True Story released in 1996

In 1996, the television film "Unabomber: The True Story" was released.

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1998: James Q. Wilson Op-Ed

In a 1998 New York Times op-ed, James Q. Wilson compared Kaczynski's writings to those of political philosophers like Rousseau, Paine, and Marx, noting similarities and stating that the Unabomber's paper resembled work a graduate student might have written.

1999: Kurzweil Quotes Kaczynski in Book

In 1999, futurist Ray Kurzweil quoted a passage from Kaczynski's manifesto "Industrial Society and Its Future" in his book "The Age of Spiritual Machines".

2000: Alston Chase's Analysis

In 2000, Alston Chase, a Harvard alumnus, wrote in The Atlantic that many believed Kaczynski was insane because they needed to believe it, and that the truly disturbing aspect of Kaczynski and his ideas is not that they are so foreign but that they are so familiar.

2000: Joy References Kaczynski in Wired Article

In 2000, Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, referenced Kaczynski in the Wired article "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us", acknowledging his arguments despite labeling him a Luddite.

2006: Italian Unabomber

In 1994, the moniker "Unabomber" was applied to the Italian Unabomber, a terrorist who conducted attacks similar to Kaczynski's in Italy from 1994 to 2006.

2006: Burrell Orders Auction of Kaczynski's Items

In 2006, Judge Burrell ordered the sale of items from Kaczynski's cabin at an Internet auction to provide restitution to his victims. Bomb-making materials were excluded. Kaczynski unsuccessfully challenged redactions in his personal papers before the sale.

2010: Technological Slavery Publication

In 2010, University of Michigan–Dearborn philosophy professor David Skrbina wrote the introduction to Kaczynski's anthology Technological Slavery, which includes the original manifesto, letters from Kaczynski to Skrbina, and other essays.

2010: Kaczynski Publishes Technological Slavery

In his 2010 book "Technological Slavery", Kaczynski discussed his psychiatric diagnosis, claiming prison psychologists found no indication of paranoid schizophrenia.

2011: Norway attacks

In 2011, Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, published a manifesto which copied large portions from Industrial Society and Its Future, with certain terms substituted

2011: Auction of Kaczynski's Items Raises Funds

In 2011, the auction of items from Kaczynski's cabin ran for two weeks, raising over $232,000, which is equivalent to approximately $324,300 in 2024. The proceeds were for the restitution of Kaczynski's victims.

2011: P.O. Box Unabomber play released

In 2011, the play "P.O. Box Unabomber" was released.

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2012: Kaczynski Responds to Harvard Alumni Association

2012: Stemple Pass documentary released

In 2012, the documentary "Stemple Pass" was released.

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2014: Ted Kaczynski Papers, 1996-2014

2016: Anti-Tech Revolution Publication

In 2016, Kaczynski wrote a second book titled, Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How, that does not include the manifesto, but delves deeply into an analysis of why technological society cannot be reformed and the dynamics of revolutionary movements.

2017: Manhunt television series season released

In 2017, season of the television series "Manhunt" was released.

2017: Manhunt: Unabomber airs

In 2017, the television series "Manhunt: Unabomber" aired, contributing to a renewed interest in Kaczynski's views.

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2019: Technological Slavery Edition

In 2019, another edition of Kaczynski's Technological Slavery was published.

2019: Kaczynski's Cabin Moved to FBI Museum

In 2019, the U.S. government moved Kaczynski's cabin, which had been on display at the Newseum, to a nearby FBI museum.

2020: Unabomber: In His Own Words miniseries

In 2020, the miniseries "Unabomber: In His Own Words" was released.

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2021: Manifesto Synthesis

According to a 2021 study, Kaczynski's manifesto "is a synthesis of ideas from three well-known academics: French philosopher Jacques Ellul, British zoologist Desmond Morris, and American psychologist Martin Seligman".