The Challenging Representations in the Postmodern Realm of Machines Like Me

Abstract

Ian McEwan crafts Machines Like Me within the science fiction tradition, immersing the reader in a technologically advanced, intricate world shaped by hyperreality, subjective experiences, and rampant consumerism— implying an increasingly fraught and ethically unviable world. The study analyzes the story of a humanoid robot, Adam, his experiences and relationship with his human owners, and their moral choices in an alternative 1980s of London promoting fundamental questions about the ethical tendencies of contemporary individuals and their reactions to objective moral systems. The status of history which is no longer thought as a fixed or objective narrative, changing conditions of knowledge and grand narratives welcoming the rejection of universal truths, the examples and influences of simulation and hyperreality, and the issue of capitalism are on focus. The study challenges traditional and constructed trends and concentrates on searching for subjective ways of representation. The reflections of postmodernism on the characters and the narrative are evaluated and associated with our world, paying attention to the controversial issue of engagement of artificial intelligence and postmodern individual and their common future with possible expectations. Ultimately, this study poses substantial questions about the moral responsibilities and obligations of people and communities in a technologically driven world.

Keywords

• Postmodernism
• humanoid robots
• artificial intelligence
• moral choice
• Ian McEwan

Benim Gibi Makineler’in Postmodern Dünyasındaki Zorlu Temsiller

Abstract

Ian McEwan, Benim Gibi Makineler’i bilimkurgu geleneğinde ele alarak okuyucuyu hipergerçeklik, öznel deneyimler ve yaygın tüketicilikle şekillenen teknolojik olarak gelişmiş, karmaşık bir dünyaya sürüklemekte; giderek daha da gergin ve etik olarak yaşanmaz bir dünyayı ima etmektedir. Bu çalışma, insansı bir robot olan Adem'in hikayesini, insan sahipleriyle olan deneyimlerini, ilişkilerini ve çağdaş bireylerin ahlaki eğilimleri ve nesnel ahlaki sistemlere tepkileri hakkında temel soruları açığa çıkaran alternatif bir 1980'ler Londra'sında ahlaki seçimlerini analiz etmektedir. Artık sabit veya nesnel bir anlatı olarak düşünülmeyen tarihin statüsü, değişen bilgi koşulları ve evrensel gerçeklerin reddedilmesini memnuniyetle karşılayan büyük anlatılar, simülasyon ve hipergerçekliğin örnekleri ile etkileri ve kapitalizm konusu odaktadır. Geleneksel ve inşa edilmiş eğilimlere meydan okumakta ve öznel temsil yolları aramaya yoğunlaşmaktadır. Postmodernizmin karakterler ve anlatı üzerindeki yansımaları değerlendirilmekte, dünyamızla ilişkilendirilmekte, yapay zekâ ve postmodern bireyin etkileşimi ve olası beklentilerle ortak gelecekleri konusundaki tartışmalı konuya dikkat çekmektedir. Sonuç olarak bu çalışma, teknoloji odaklı bir dünyada insanların ve toplumların ahlaki sorumlulukları ve yükümlülükleri hakkında önemli sorular ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Postmodernizm
• insansı robotlar
• yapay zekâ
• ahlaki seçim
• Ian McEwan

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