Transhumanism and Singularity: A Comparative Analysis of a Radical Perspective in Contemporary Works
Abstract
A new literary tendency of the 21st century has reached a certain level where it encapsulates both the past and future of humans. We call this tendency ‘transhumanism’, and it endeavors to combine science and technology through the filtration of fantastic elements of literature to amalgamate the entity of man and the ideas of singularity and immortality. The choice of three contemporary novels, namely Brave New World, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Transhumanist Wager brings a consolidation towards the initiated movement of transhumanism in literature. Therefore, in principal, the first aim of this article is to present how the basic logic of transhumanism embodied in the selected contemporary works. For this reason, a transhumanist analysis of works will be applied on them after an explanation of the different perceptions of transhumanism since it is a fresh approach. A secondary objective of this text is to redeem the idea of singularity and immortality in the 21st century to demonstrate the journey of this ever-lasting desire. The continuation of this longing from ancient times to our own is not something astonishing, but the way this desire maintains and manifests itself through science and literature is worth mentioning.
Keywords
References
- Bostrom, N. (2016). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Dick, P. K. (2008). Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: The inspiration for the films Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 (Kindle Edition ed.) [Kindle Version].
- Griffin, A. (2015, October 09). Artificial intelligence is going to get so good that machines will kill us by accident, Stephen Hawking says. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/stephen-hawking-artificial-intelligence-could-wipe-out-humanity-when-it-gets-too-clever-as-humans-a6686496.html
- Huxley, A. (1978). Brave New World. New York: Harper & Row.
- Istvan, Z. (2013). The Transhumanist Wager (Kindle ed.) [Futurity Imagine Media LLC].
- Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity İs Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. New York: Viking.
- Kurzweil, R. (2013). How To Create A Mind The Secret Of Human Thought Revealed. New York: Penguin.
- Kropotkin, P. (2003). Anarchism. New York: Dover Publications.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Creative Arts and Writing
Journal Section
Art and Literature
Authors
Timuçin Buğra Edman
*
Türkiye
Publication Date
January 22, 2019
Submission Date
July 22, 2018
Acceptance Date
January 7, 2019
Published in Issue
Year 2019 Volume: 18 Number: 1
Cited By
FUTURISM IN SOCIAL WORK: TRANSHUMANISM, GAMIFICATION OF HUMAN LIFE, HOMO ROBOTICUS AND CARE
Toplum ve Sosyal Hizmet
https://doi.org/10.33417/tsh.729496“Mutlak Buna Bir Çare Bulacağım”: Transhümanizm Kavramı ve Nâzım Hikmet’te Makinalaşma Arzusu
Akademik Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi
https://doi.org/10.34083/akaded.1023027