Cypherpunk Manifesto - Grant Morrison on Punks

The word “punk” is part of “cypherpunk.” While the “cypher” part is clear—focused on encryption and privacy—what does “punk” mean? The best description I know is by Grant Morrison in Supergods.

Grant Morrison on Punk:

•DIY Ethic: Creating something from nothing, valuing raw creativity.

•Anti-Establishment: Rejecting mainstream norms and corporate (I’d say corporatist) control.

•Individualism: Authentic self-expression, cautioning against the commercialization of individuality.

Cypherpunk Manifesto by Eric Hughes:

•Privacy as a Right: Using cryptography to ensure personal autonomy.

•Decentralization: Resisting centralized control.

•DIY Problem-Solving: Creating and using tools independently to protect freedom.

The punk in cypherpunk:

•Both movements challenge and subvert established systems, promoting individualism and genuine autonomy and individual action. They emphasize practical action, encouraging people to directly shape their realities.

Embracing the cypherpunk ethos means carrying forward the spirit of change and rebellion of the public movement and the cypherpunk movement. This includes supporting the ideals of privacy, decentralization, voluntary choice and the individual.

We need more punks.