Abstract

SIERRA, Carlos Hugo. The Onto-Epistemological Enigma of Consciousness. On Transhumanism and the Computational Analogy of the Brain. Trilogía. Cienc. Tecnol. Soc. [online]. 2023, vol.15, n.29, e303.  Epub Dec 26, 2024. ISSN 2145-7778.  https://doi.org/10.22430/21457778.2458.

The main purpose of this reflection paper is to present a critical analysis of some of the most prominent epistemological and philosophical ideas developed by contemporary transhumanism in relation to the anatomical-functional activity of the brain and the nature of consciousness. From this point of view, this paper considers whether the technological-instrumental hermeneutic model promoted by the transhumanist movement is an alternative, comprehensive variant to elucidate the onto-epistemological complexity of consciousness. To this end, this paper explores the way in which transhumanism has focused on certain techno-scientific fields in order to develop a concrete prospective associated with the cognitive potentialities of the human being. In this sense, it discusses certain specific advances in cutting-edge neurotechnology and artificial neuromodulation (neural implants, neuromorphic devices, neuronal reprogramming, controlled laboratory culture of cerebroids, etc.), as well as artificial intelligence. This analysis results in deep scepticism as to whether the transhumanist approach offers a promising model for successfully tackling the age-old problem of the mind-brain relationship because, despite the appeal of some of its boldest speculations about the bio-anthropological condition of man and the ontology of the real, it has chosen to update a reductionist and physicalist view of the human mind.

Keywords : Artificial neuromodulation; digital ontology; mind-brain relationship; computational theory of mind; transhumanism..

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )