Christian Oglesby
Professor Helms
Critical Theory 3695
5/7/2024
What does it mean to be human in an age of techno-cultural metamorphosis, when the bounds between human and machine, flesh and circuitry blur? Within the morally turbulent seas of technological advancement found in the works of Hyperion, Neuromancer, and Cyberpunk 2077, how does humanity navigate and conclude their truth on posthumanism/transhumanism? Likewise, how do their paths diverge from each other, and the story we might carve from our own reality? Over the course of this analysis, I hope to solve these questions while formulating my own philosophy in regards to the morality of humanity’s manipulation of machines and the consequences if we allow these roles to be reversed.
First, what is posthumanism? To answer this question I believe that we must first look at its difference between humanism and transhumanism. Humanism is a philosophical perspective that celebrates the inherent dignity and worth of human beings, emphasizing our inherent proclivity to reason, ethics, and compassion. It places humans at the center of the moral and intellectual framework while placing value on the autonomy of the individual. Transhumanism, on the other hand, extends beyond the boundaries of traditional humanism by advocating for the enhancement of human capabilities through the use of technology and scientific advancements. It envisions a future where humanity can transcend its current limitations, whether physical, cognitive, or emotional, through innovations such as genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and cybernetics. Posthumanism, however, diverges from both humanism and transhumanism by challenging the very notion of a fixed, essential human identity. It diverges in that those categorized as “posthuman” transcend the fundamental capacities and limitations analogous to the human condition to such an extent that they cease to fit within the traditional boundaries of humanity.(Wolfe, xiii)
How are these varying “isms” represented throughout Cyberpunk, Hyperion, and Neuromancer? The themes and worldbuilding of Cyberpunk 2077 and Neuromancer are practically identical with both of these stories involving varying stages of transhumanism and posthumanism states. In both narratives, we encounter two prime examples of the effect of posthumanism in the cyberpunk genre: Dixie from “Neuromancer” and Alt Cunningham from “Cyberpunk 2077.” Renowned as hackers/netrunners in their respective eras, their tales take a turn as a netrunning session results in fatal brain death prior to the main events of their stories. However, as the narratives unfold, they reappear as constructs of their own consciousness. Their brain waves forcibly translated into data navigating the virtual realm. Although their minds are conscious and tangible, they lose the emotional capabilities tied to a human body.
‘I’m dead, Case. Got enough time in on this Hosaka to figure that one.’
‘How’s it feel?’
‘It doesn’t.’
‘Bother you?’
‘What bothers me is, nothin’ does.’ (Neuromancer, 118)
In Dixie’s transition to posthuman, he loses his need for food, water, and sleep. Yet he also loses his capability to love, hate, fear, and enjoy.(Winsnes, 59) In the case of Alt Cunningham, her construct is left in cyberspace for decades before she interacts with anyone from her former life. When next we see her she is bereft of any tangible remnants of humanity. The intricacies of her playful and rebellious punk rocker girl personality have dissolved into the abstract and enigmatic pursuits of an abstract and alien nature, common to most depictions of AI.
V: The chip, the Relic, It’s killin’ me. Construct on it is wormin’ it’s way through my neural system.
Alt: I see this, but why is it my problem?
Johnny: Why the fuck isnt it? You created soulkiller. You handed Arasaka a fuckin’ super weapon that dismantled me, you and half the ‘runners in Night City!
Alt: Your death was of your own making
The only difference between Alt/Dixie and the other AI is their memories of their life as a human. Although one could argue that it was not their life, due to the construct’s inherent method of recreating a personality already dead. It is more of a memory copy than a memory resuscitation. This relates to the example of posthumanism present in Hyperion through the character of Johnny. Johnny is unique in the cyberpunk genre in that he is an artificial intelligence that inhabits a human body. He is both in a state of humanism and posthumanism. He has all the limits and capabilities of the human condition, and yet once his physical body is killed his mind can be returned to the net. This I think is the perfect balance between human and AI, where that which was sacrificed can soon be reclaimed upon the possession of a new human body.
The current and most prevalent example of technological evolution within the cyberpunk genre that can be found today is artificial intelligence. However, I think it would be incorrect to categorize AI under a framework of posthumanism so long as the AI is operating independently of the human that created it. It cannot be posthuman if it was never human to begin with. Today’s AI issues echo those depicted in classics like “Neuromancer,” “Hyperion,” and “Cyberpunk 2077,”. This suggests these stories might have laid the groundwork for our current concerns, with all three of them relying on AI as the catalyst driving their respective plots. Within these stories, AI have varying degrees of control within their world. In Cyberpunk 2077, the rogue AI’s have been locked inside a digital prison within the net known as the Blackwall. There is an entire task force known as Net Watch responsible for maintaining and protecting this prison from any netrunners attempting to breach its surface. Similarly in Neuromancer, the Turing Police are responsible for ensuring companies never allow their AI to join into a potential super intelligence. In Hyperion, the AI are completely independent of humanity, eventually resulting in a war between man and machine of unparalleled destruction. While fictional depictions often portray stringent measures to contain or regulate AI, our reality lacks such oversight. This disparity should remind us to underscore the pressing need for legislation to govern the development and deployment of AI technologies or potentially suffer the dire consequences postulated by the authors of the series listed above.
The cyberpunk genre is built upon the effects of technological transhumanism on society. Within the worlds of Cyberpunk 2077 and Neuromancer, cybernetic modification is as necessary to operate in their world as cellphones and access to the internet is to ours. Whether that be to modify the flesh with chrome, or to modify the mind so as to no longer need the flesh. The extent of your cybernetic augmentations served as a reflection of your potential prowess within your chosen profession, while an excessive inclination towards humanism was depicted as a vulnerability. “In the bars he’d frequented as a cowboy hotshot, the elite stance involved a certain relaxed contempt for the flesh. The body was meat. Case fell into the prison of his own flesh.”(Neuromancer, 6).Within the confines of a culture that increasingly leans on technological augmentations, the cyberpunk genre expresses its classic themes. In order to progress technologically you must regress anthropologically. This regression extends beyond mere flesh; it permeates the very essence of our humanity. Concepts like empathy and love are carelessly discarded in the relentless pursuit of progress.
This ties neatly into Cyberpunk 2077, where there is an affliction known as cyberpsychosis. Those affected with cyberpsychosis have a dissociative disorder that causes them to lose their sense of identity as a person as a result of cybernetic enhancements. They begin to view regular people and other living things as weak and inferior. Cyberpsychosis can eventually affect anyone modified with cybernetics, but the less empathetic or psychologically stable a person is, the more susceptible they are to it.(Cyberpunk, Wiki) This scenario serves as a poignant warning towards the potential dangers of post/transhumanism in our reality. As a species, we harbor an inherent propensity for violence, coupled with a dismissive attitude toward the lives of those we perceive as lesser or “other”. When observing the implications of individuals in the near future with the means to procure technological enhancements, or the capability to produce and control ultra intelligent AI, the trajectory becomes even more disquieting. A socio-economic divide would deepen, affording the affluent access to enhancements that further amplify their capabilities, exacerbating existing power differences and widening the chasm of inequality. This could precipitate a cultural landscape where the marginalized are further marginalized, and notions of empathy and humanity as a whole are overshadowed by a relentless pursuit of individualistic gain. The potential technological evolution of humanity is not worth forsaking or potentially sacrificing those who lack the means to participate, and the fundamental tenets of humanity as a whole.(Koduri, 5)
Work Cited
“Cyberpsychosis.” Cyberpunk Wiki, cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Cyberpsychosis.
Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York, Ace, 1984.
Simmons, Dan, and Jan Smit. Hyperion. Amsterdam, Luitingh Sijthoff, 2014.
Wolfe, Cary. What Is Posthumanism? Minneapolis, Minn. Univ. Of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Winsnes, Petter. Change with the Machines: Posthumanism and Postmodernism in Cyberpunk Literature. 2022.
Koduri, Yaswanth , et al. “Potential Dangers of AI in Today’s World.” EasyChair Preprint, 18 Mar. 2024, pp. 1–6. Accessed 7 May 2024.
Sprockets and Springes 