Man as Matter of Engineering: Ethical, Epistemological and Technological Boundaries of Transhumanism

Abstract

The article provides a thorough analysis of the problem of human consciousness and artificial intelligence compatibility in the framework of theories and projects of modern transhumanism. There are approaches to the consciousness viewed in the framework of cognitive science theories aimed at the direct correlation between the structures of human reasoning and programmes of digital devices. The study is done from the perspectives of the consciousness being the constructive act of meaning making. The authors suggest distinguishing fundamentally the ways the consciousness is influenced by a semantic discourse or a narrative that are typical for the culture of a classical type, and, on the other hand, by a circumconsciousness influence on a person, which is typical for modern social and humanitarian technologies. Special emphasis is laid on anthropologic beliefs and theories transformations regarding the assumed and planned ways of the influence on a man by means of social and humanitarian technologies. This effect is given in the article through the notion of the anthropological horizon. A thoughtful regard is given to estimate the capability and perspectives of cognitive science and transhumanitarian projects development, and a modern practice of human and electronic information systems interaction.