GREG EGAN’IN “EKSTRA” ADLI ÖYKÜSÜ BAĞLAMINDA TRANSHÜMANİST İDEALLERE ELEŞTİREL BİR YAKLAŞIM

Abstract

Avustralyalı bilim-kurgu yazarı Greg Egan’ın “Ekstra” adlı öyküsü (1990) insan klonlarının organ bağışçısı olarak kullanılmasının ve yaşam süresini uzatmak amacıyla insan beyninin klon bedenlerine nakledilmesinin mümkün olduğu transhümanist bir gelecek tasviri sunar. Bu çalışma, transhümanist klonlama ve nakil teknolojilerinin hem bireysel hem de sosyal düzeyde insan yaşamı için zararlı sonuçlar doğurma potansiyeline sahip olduğunun anlaşılması için Egan’ın “Ekstra” öyküsünün eleştirel bir transhümanist analizini sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu analiz sonucunda bu çalışma transhümanist teknolojiler aracılığıyla beden ve zihin birlikteliğine yapılan radikal müdahalelerin bireyi tam bir benlik algısına yabancılaştırarak insan kimliğinin bütünlüğünü bozabileceği fikrini ortaya koyacaktır. Buna ek olarak, transhümanist bir toplum yapısının geliştirme teknolojilerine erişimi olanlar ve olmayanlar arasındaki hiyerarşik uçurumu derinleştirmesinin yanı sıra mağdur edilen ve ötekileştirilen yeni bir grup olarak klonların sömürüsüne yol açabileceği sonucuna varılacaktır.

Keywords

• Greg Egan
• "Ekstra"
• transhümanizm
• klonlar
• beyin nakli

A CRITICAL APPROACH TO TRANSHUMANIST IDEALS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF GREG EGAN’S “THE EXTRA”

Abstract

Australian science-fiction author Greg Egan’s short story, “The Extra” (1990) envisions a transhumanist future in which the use of human clones as organ donors and the transplantation of human brains’ into clones’ bodies with the aim of extending the human lifespan are made possible. This study aims to present a critical transhumanist analysis of Egan’s “The Extra” in order to provide insight into how the transhumanist technologies of cloning and transplantation hold the potential to engender detrimental outcomes for human life both at the individual and social level. This study will demonstrate that the radical interventions in the interdependence of the body and the mind via transhumanist technologies could disrupt the integrity of human identity by alienating the individual from a unified sense of self. In addition to this, it will also be concluded that a transhumanist society may pose the risk of not only deepening the hierarchical gap between those who have access to enhancement technologies and those who do not but also exploiting the clones as a new victimized and marginalized group.

Keywords

• Greg Egan
• "The Extra"
• transhumanism
• clones
• brain transplant

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