Transhumanistic Aspects of the Artificial Life Mythologeme in the Folktales of Premodern
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22219522 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lyudmila Gots (0000-0001-5832-2406, National Academy of Arts, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Pages | 5-10 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-15 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | NaUKMA Research Papers History and Theory of Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2617-8907 • E-ISSN: 2663-2160 |
| Publisher | National University of Kyiv - Mohyla Academy (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.18523/2617-8907.2021.4.5-10 |
| OpenAlex | W3176714020 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 2 |
The purpose of the article is to study mythological transhumanism in the context of the problem of artificial life in the folktales of premodern. The research methodology in the field of cultural studies is based on the comparative mythology, genetic method, as well as structural, semiotic, hermeneutic, and axiological analysis. The criterion for selecting plots for analysis in this article is the category of artificial life created with the help of technology (everyday household practices, craft, magic, etc.), as opposed to birth or revival solely by the order of the demiurge. This paper argues that transhumanistic intentions of humanity are already represented in mythological and traditional thinking. The study showed a frequent use of the motive of the creation of artificial life by a person in folktales. This suggests that transhumanistic thinking may be universal in culture. The peculiarities of the representation of the problems of artificial life in the traditional consciousness are revealed. It was found that folktales about the creation of artificial life from natural materials are related with animism, totemism, and magical ideas. It was found that the mythological creation of artificial life by a demiurge has an invariant in the folk tales. It is the implementation of the transhumanistic act of human creation of artificial life with the help of technologies (everyday household practices, craft, magic). The image of an ordinary head of the household, artisan, master reflects the archetype of the demiurge-creator, the Magician, while the image of an artificial creation reflects the archetype of the Doll who Came to Life. The “man–god” and “alive–dead” binary opposition is blurred in traditional thinking. Quasi-parents treat their artificial creations resemble ordinary children. At the same time, the status of a quasi-child is interpreted ambiguously: as a blessing for quasi-parents, as a curse, or in a neutral way. We found out the reasons why folktales about the creation of artificial life often have a negative ending
Aesthetics · Archetype · Art · Artificial life · Consciousness · Craft · Epistemology · Everyday life · Humanity · Literature · Mythology · Sociology · Theology · Visual arts · Computer Science · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Philosophy · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Russia · Artificial Intelligence
| Highly cited | No |
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