Traditional Man in the “Digital Cell”. Ideal Sources of Alternative Scenarios (20–30s of the XXth century)

• Main Author: A. V. Shcherbina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University 2021-06-01
• Series: Дискурс
• Subjects: traditional man; technology; human nature; cultural type; organ projection; transhumanism; posthumanism; ideology; personality autonomy; artificial intelligence
• Online Access: https://discourse.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/410
• ISSN: 2412-8562; 2658-7777

Introduction. The ideology and methodology of solving the problem practically posed in modern Russia is discussed: to preserve traditional values in a high-tech modern society. The author substantiates the legitimacy of comparing the current global situation with the situation between the two world wars in the twentieth century and referring to the heuristic potential of the ideas about the essence of technology expressed at that time.Methodology and sources. An attempt has been made to move from a categorical to a conceptual analysis of the interface between the traditional person and the imperative of technological development. A traditional person is described in a postmodern paradigm that configures several analytical perspectives: the “tradition and modernity” interpretation scheme, an individualizing method, a civilizational approach, a historical perspective, Orthodox anthropology, the concept of organ projection, transhumanism and posthumanism. The works of the 20s – early 30s of the XX century are used as sources for the analysis. “Man and Technology” by O. Spengler, “Man and Machine” by N. Berdyaev, “Organoprojection” by P. Florensky.Results and discussion. Examples of interpretation of a traditional person are considered, which allow rethinking the linear scheme “from tradition to modernity”. 1. A traditional person belongs to a distinctive culture. Scientific and technological progress is a product of the Western European cultural type. The enslavement to technology is not a cause, but a symptom of its decay due to a lack of perspective and purpose. 2. A traditional person is a person who is changing, continuing the creation of the world and maintaining a connection with eternity. From the reflections of Berdyaev follows the methodological setting: to treat man at the same time as God and as nature. It has a heuristic significance for the analysis of modern technologies. 3. A traditional person is an ancient, classical person who has yet to be restored in its integrity in synergy with technology, not in piece or elite, but in mass incarnations. The ideas of pairing traditional man and technological growth – cultural identity, connection with eternity, synergy of man and technology in organ projection are considered as guidelines for possible scenarios for the development of modern technologies in the interests of man, alternative to trans- and posthuman projects of improvement or pre- overpowering man based on secular eschatology. A critical analysis of proactive experimental and bioconservative approaches to the development of new technologies is given.Conclusion. A shift in the attention of researchers and practitioners – in education, upbringing, management from traditional methods of social reproduction and personal development to technical improvements of a person – is fixed. Which again makes the question of the normativity of human nature urgent.