Man and Machine: the Limits of Human Nature in the Context of Stanislaw Lem's Science Fiction Works

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.