Man and Machine: the Limits of Human Nature in the Context of Stanislaw Lem's Science Fiction Works
Oleg N. Gurov, Michael M. Zvyagintsev
Семиотические исследования October 27, 2025 DOI: 10.18287/2782-2966-2024-4-2-27-34 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Stanislaw lem Science fiction Artificial intelligence Machine consciousness Cyborgization Virtualization Ethics of technology Transhumanism Posthuman Interdisciplinarity Human nature Future of mankind Socio-humanitarian rationality |
| Key points | Argues that Stanislaw Lem's philosophical ideas about artificial intelligence, machine consciousness, cyborgization, and virtualization remain relevant to contemporary ethical debates, and that his work offers parallels with modern philosophers such as Chalmers, Dennett, Haraway, and Bostrom. The author contends that Lem's heritage is significant for developing a new rationality needed to preserve human identity amid rapid scientific and technological progress. |
Abstract
The article presents some philosophical ideas of Stanislaw Lem regarding the limits of human nature in the context of scientific and technological progress. The writer's views on the problems of artificial intelligence, machine consciousness, interaction between "our own" and "alien", cyborgization and virtualization of human existence are analyzed. Parallels between Lem's ideas and the concepts of modern philosophers (D. Chalmers, D. Dennett, D. Haraway, N. Bostrom) are identified. The relevance of ethical dilemmas raised in Lem's work is emphasized for comprehending the prospects of human development in the era of development and spread of technology. The significance of Lem's heritage for the development of a new rationality necessary for the preservation of human identity in the conditions of rapid scientific and technological progress is argued.