MAN IN THE EPOCH OF TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFTS

Abstract

Modern technologies are an indispensable component of the entire space of a person’s life/being, acquiring a new configuration at the beginning of the 21st century. This situation has actualized the ontological anthropological dimension of the technological shifts of the present, transforming human life and vital activity. The objective of the study is to determine the configuration of modern technology, which produces the paradox of total technological being with a danger of “loosing human physicality” and loss of human personality. This situation emphasizes the ambivalence of the relationship “man – technology”: a person actively creates and uses technological products, but at the same time the latter directly affect the formation of his personality. Technologies transform worldview discourses, affirming a new stage in the development of mankind that requires a rethinking of the basic constants of human existence/preservation. It is noted that modern technology is a new intermediary between man and nature; they change not only the natural world, but also “encroach” on human nature that holds danger of transforming a person into an element of engineering/technology. It is also emphasized that in the era of accelerated technologicalization, research discourse focuses on the possibilities of a new augmented and substituted reality. At the same time, a person physically still exists on the platform provided by the Earth, which provokes new problems between them. The impact of technology on nature and man is comprehensive. In this context, the problem of “Being a human being” (Miroslav Popovich) acquires a new sound. The article insists on urgent necessity to find support in a world that is under the control of technological innovation. In this context, the ethical imperative of Hans Jonas “one must be involved in existence” takes on a new meaning. This situation requires a rethinking of the relationship “man – technology – nature” in the coordinates “you should/should not”, which reflects both technological development and the environmental crisis of the beginning of the 21st century. It is emphasized that the ontological anthropological dimension of technological reality provides new opportunities for exploring the relationship “man – Earth”, where the latter is the matrix of human life/being.