Cite this article as:
Kraynov A. . Posthumanism and the problem of immortality: Socio-philosophical analysis. Izvestiya of Saratov University. Philosophy. Psychology. Pedagogy, 2022, vol. 22, iss. 1, pp. 14-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18500/1819-7671-2022-22-1-14-18
Posthumanism and the problem of immortality: Socio-philosophical analysis
The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem of immortality in the context of the philosophy of posthumanism. The problem of immortality has always worried humanity. In fairy tales and myths, religious systems and scientific research, it occupies a central place, which relates to the natural desire of a person to live forever. In the philosophy of posthumanism, this problem acquires new meanings, moving from a purely speculative metaphysical field to the sphere of practice. The development of NBICS technologies contributes to this metamorphosis. Processes such as digitalization, the creation of artifi cial intelligence, the development of genetic engineering, cloning, the design of cyborgs and android robots, and cryonization force us to take a fresh look at the problem of immortality. If in the religious consciousness the immortality of a person is interpreted as spiritual immortality – eternal life after the physical death of the body, then in the worldview of posthumanism and immortalism we are talking about bodily immortality, which modern technologies are capable to bring to life. Thus, a value reorientation takes place in the consciousness of a person, shifting the emphasis from the future afterlife to the current present life. As a result, not only the perception of life is changing, but also the whole model of social behavior. Such traditional values as family and children, gender identity and procreation are fading into the background, leaving a place for the values of posthumanism, which consider a person as an intermediate stage on the path to perfection, that is, to a posthuman.
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