Summary of "Смирнов С.А. «Цифра как соблазн. Человек и новый технологический уклад»."
Summary of Смирнов С.А. «Цифра как соблазн. Человек и новый технологический уклад»
This lecture explores the profound philosophical, anthropological, and ethical challenges posed by the rise of digital technologies and smart devices in contemporary life. The speaker reflects on how digitalization tempts humanity with unprecedented power and knowledge but simultaneously provokes deep questions about human identity, boundaries, and existence.
Main Ideas and Concepts
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Temptation of Digitalization and Knowledge The biblical story of the Tree of Knowledge is used as a metaphor for modern technological temptation: the promise of god-like knowledge and power through digital means. Digital technologies provoke humans to question their own limits, existence, and what it means to be human. The temptation lies in easily “having” power and control without the traditional human transformation or effort.
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Floating and Blurred Boundaries The concept of “frontier” or boundary is no longer fixed but “floating,” flickering, and open-ended due to technology. This floating boundary challenges traditional ontological categories such as human vs. non-human, natural vs. artificial, life vs. death. Smart technologies increasingly erase these boundaries, provoking existential and ethical dilemmas.
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Human Identity and Transhumanism Transhumanism promotes replacing or enhancing human functions with technology, aiming for a “superhuman.” This raises questions about what remains of human identity when core functions like thinking and memory are outsourced to machines. The human as a set of functions (rather than a fixed image) is a growing perspective, especially among some technologists and philosophers.
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Ethical and Existential Challenges Medical advances (e.g., brain death criteria, organ transplants) blur the line between life and death, natural and artificial. Smart technologies enable prolonging physiological life but raise questions about what qualities truly define a human. The temptation to surrender human subjectivity to machines is a critical problem.
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Impact on Everyday Life and Social Norms Smart gadgets and the internet reshape daily life, learning, communication, and social interaction. Virtual worlds create new identities and experiences that may overshadow “real” life events. There is a risk of losing empathy and sensitivity due to excessive immersion in digital environments. The digital world often lacks traditional social norms, hierarchies, and moral distinctions.
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Educational and Pedagogical Implications Schools and educational institutions are not prepared to address these challenges effectively. There is a lack of individualized guidance or “tutors” who can help students navigate their personal paths amid technological change. The need for spiritual care, self-care, and practices of self-transformation is emphasized as a counterbalance to technological seduction. Current ethical and regulatory responses focus mostly on protecting “vulnerable” users rather than engaging with deeper anthropological questions.
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Philosophical Anthropology and the Future of Humanity The human being is seen as an eventful, open problem rather than a fixed image or essence. The development of new “integrities” or forms of human-technology assemblages is ongoing. There is a tension between returning to lost human integrity (spiritual/religious restoration) and creating new integrities through technology. The horizon of human existence is expanding, but this expansion also brings new risks and uncertainties.
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Technology as Extension of the Body Tools and machines have always extended human capabilities (e.g., from sticks to excavators). Smart technologies represent a qualitative leap by potentially replacing not just physical labor but cognitive functions. This raises questions about what remains “human” when so many functions are delegated to machines.
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Social and Military Dimensions Military research drives much of the development of smart technologies, including “super soldiers” and automated warfare. This exemplifies the trend of removing humans as active agents and replacing them with smart operators and machines.
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Navigating the Technological Age The challenge is to develop ways of living and thinking that do not simply surrender to technological temptation but navigate it thoughtfully. Life is framed as navigation through eventfulness, with no fixed recipes but with a need for personal and collective guidance. The role of educators, philosophers, and spiritual guides is crucial in helping individuals find their path.
Methodology / Instructions / Lessons
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Reflect on the nature of temptation posed by digital technologies: Recognize the allure of easy power and knowledge. Question what is lost when human effort and transformation are bypassed.
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Understand and critically engage with the concept of floating boundaries: Identify where traditional boundaries blur. Explore ontological questions about human vs. machine, life vs. death.
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Examine the implications of transhumanism and technological enhancement: Consider what human identity means beyond biological and cognitive functions. Reflect on ethical limits and what should not be outsourced to technology.
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Address the impact of digital technologies on social norms and personal identity: Analyze shifts in empathy, social interaction, and eventfulness in virtual spaces. Develop strategies to maintain human values and connections.
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In education and pedagogy: Promote individualized guidance and tutoring that supports personal navigation rather than mere knowledge transmission. Integrate spiritual care and self-care practices into education. Prepare students to critically engage with technology rather than passively consume it.
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Develop a philosophical and anthropological discourse on technology: Move beyond seeing humans as mere objects or functions. Embrace the complexity and openness of human identity in technological contexts.
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Navigate life as a process of eventfulness and personal trajectory: Recognize life events as changes in mental and existential trajectories. Cultivate readiness to face fear and temptation.
Speakers / Sources Featured
- Смирнов С.А. – Main speaker, delivering the lecture.
- Boris Denon – Referenced for his unfinished work on technology and human boundaries.
- Ray Kurzweil – Mentioned as a prominent figure in transhumanism.
- Vygotsky – Cited for psychological insights on human development and struggle.
- Shakespeare (Hamlet) – Used metaphorically to discuss internal conflict and readiness.
- Philosophers referenced:
- Hegel (dialectics of integrity)
- Heidegger (being and eventfulness)
- Bakhtin (dialogism and narrative)
- Academic institutions: Mention of ethical committees and research institutes in Russia and abroad.
This lecture is a profound meditation on how digital technologies seduce humanity with power and knowledge, challenge the essence of human identity, and demand new forms of philosophical, ethical, and pedagogical responses to navigate this complex transformation.
Category
Educational
