On the Union of Religion and Philosophy against the Freedom of Technoscience

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleО союзе религии с философией против свободы технауки
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Orthodox view on technology and engineering - Ethics - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Philosophy of science/epistemology
6. Publication date 09-05-2017
7. lemma work Кутырёв, Владимир Александрович [Author]. О союзе религии с философией против свободы технауки
8. lemma manifestations Вестник славянских культур
9. Keywords scientifc progress - new technologies - church and technology - technology - Philosophy of technology - Philosophy - Russian Orthodox Church - bioethics
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Кутырёв, Владимир Александрович (2011). О Союзе религии с философией против свободы технонауки. <em>Вестник славянских культур</em>. Retrieved from: <a href="http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/o-soyuze-religii-s-filosofiey-protiv-svobody-tehnonauki">http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/o-soyuze-religii-s-filosofiey-protiv-svobody-tehnonauki</a> </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The author warns the readers about the negative impact technology has on human beings. Kutyrev argues that there exists a popular idea (considered to be unethical by the author) whereas humans view themselves as inadequate and incompetent when compared to modern computer systems. The author also negates the existence of a “global crisis of civilization”, which many commentators talk about. He admits instead that there is constant technical progress, yet people are now becoming a hindrance to the progress. The so-called “human factor” is believed to create problems for progress (always behind, causing accidents, not as predictable). Cutting-edge technologies are in fact post-human technologies. This brings about a conflict between humans (who feel, think etc.) and this new artificial environment that develops in accordance to its own laws. Science has long merged with technology, becoming known as “techno-science”. The latter threatens to modify humans to fit them into the new “techno-science” system. Moreover, development of technologies becomes independent and any attempts to alter it are seen as an intrusion.

       According to the author, human nature implies a spiritual dimension that cannot be controlled by techno-science. Thinking and cognition are part of one’s spirituality. Spirituality implies culture as well, which, in turn, includes science. However, nowadays ideologies reduce human spirituality to intellect only. Today, religion and philosophy are the last defenders of human identity and spirituality. In order to achieve their goals, philosophy should stop trying to become science and religion should stop trying to prove that God exists. As to techno-science, it should continue to theorize about whatever it finds important but its concepts should not be applied to real life straight away. Society should evaluate and analyse new technologies before applying them. Unethical creativity in such spheres as cloning, artificial food, genetic modification, promotion of computer dependency - all of them, posits the author, should be criminalized by law for attacking human liberties.

       The author sees a positive role for the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in fighting the rule of techno-science. In 2000, the ROC warned that attempts to replace God by science to improve God’s creation are leading to major crises. The ROC suggests that human nature has many aspects that science cannot see and there are many new scientific researchers that prove this point.

       The author concludes that today it is very hard to resist the ideology of techno-science, which is manifested in globalism that deprives humans of their ethnic and gender identities. For the author, to resist techno-science now is as hard for people as it would have been to be an atheist in the Middle Ages.