Ðóñ Eng Cn Translate this page:
Please select your language to translate the article


You can just close the window to don't translate
Library
Your profile

Back to contents

Philosophy and Culture
Reference:

Maslov, V. M. Post-Human Trends of Industrial Civilization

Abstract: The author of the article substantiates the thesis that creation of the philosophy of technology and development of the theory of industrial civilization are a determinative form of expression of the significance and growing attention towards the research-and-technological, technical, technological and technology-related elements of modern culture. Orientation at innovations and exponential speed of research-and-technology transformations in the industrial civilization explicitly state that soontrans-humanistic and post-human ideas will be possibly put into life (i.e. the transfer from human to post-human will occur). The subject/purpose of the present research is to specify and systematize post-human trends of industrial civilization. The general methodological base of research is the dialectics accompanied with modern achievements in the sphere of the systems approach and synergetic view on the world. At the beginning of research the author intensively uses the method of the unity of the historical and logical and in conclusion the author uses the scenario approach. The scientific novelty of research is determined by the fact that the process of post-human transformations is described from the point of view of specific and general (system-related) development and interaction of high technologies: nanotechnology, biotechnology, cybertechnology, artificial intelligence technology and information and virtual technology. The author of the article describes the single interchange line of post-human development from biotechnology, cybertechnology and artificial intelligence technology to information and virtual technology. The author also points out the emerging opportunity of a powerful artificial intelligence being created which would be a challenge for both human and post-human development. The author also describes other scenarios of the post-human future such as: competitive struggle between item-specific (biotechnology, cybertechnology, artificial intelligence technology ) and information and virtual (information and virtual technology) directions of post-human transformations; and rather independent development of each post-human trend as they are or in a form of a combination of related technologies. The author focuses on a special ‘post-human’ role of nanotechnologies. Nanotechnologies are presented as a modern form of fundamental, basic technology allowing the industrial civilization to possess and control all what it needs to function and develop. Throughhightechnologiesindustrialcivilizationpresents itself as n independent artificial, technology-related phenomenon outside and besides the initial natural or bio-social or human origin. Growing post-human orientation of industrial civilization raises a sharp question whether this post-human and trans-humanistic movement actually has a meaning from the point of view of humans and preservation of human values in general.


Keywords:

social philosophy, futurology, philosophy of technology, industrial civilization, focus on innovation, technological determinism, post-human, trans-humanism, high tech solutions, technology-related risks.


This article can be downloaded freely in PDF format for reading. Download article

This article written in Russian. You can find original text of the article here .
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.