Bit Bot Is Watching You: Transhumanism and Bioethics in Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House

Authors : Ahmet Aktürk

Pages : 500-511

Doi:10.18795/gumusmaviatlas.1688573

View : 82 | Download : 322

Publication Date : 2025-10-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study reveals that while human enhancement technologies that transhumanism advocates have potential to help humanity transcend its biological, cognitive, and physical limitations, they simultaneously may pose considerable ethical, social, and existential risks. British author Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House (2010) displays the pervasive presence of such advancements, particularly nanotechnology, in the characters\\\' daily lives, while also illustrating their profound impact on human nature. The intense anxiety and fear that characters experience towards nanotechnology in the narrative highlight its potential to compromise the integrity of the human body by disrupting its natural functions. Moreover, the plot demonstrates that devices reinforced with nanotechnology as a form of human enhancement can manipulate people, spy on their private lives, undermine their nature and disrupt the order of society. In contrast to the optimistic vision of transhumanists that human enhancement technologies may be essential in the evolutionary journey of humanity, bioethicists maintain that human nature, autonomy, and dignity may be eroded as a result of unregulated and unrestrained use of such technologies. In light of these discussions, it is suggested that technology must be shaped around ethical standards and accountability. Consequently, The Dervish House serves as a cautionary tale, underscoring the necessity of embedding ethical principles and accountability mechanisms into the very architecture of technological progress to safeguard human dignity.
Keywords : Ian McDonald, Derviş Evi, Transhümanizm, İnsan Geliştirme, Biyoetik

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