Virtual Immortality and Technological Singularity in Ahmed Alsadik’s Hedra: The Odyssey of Mortality and Immortality

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 English department, faculty of Arts, Delta university for science and technology

2 Department of English Language -Faculty of Arts-Delta University for Science and Technology

Abstract

Abstract
Modern age’s persistent drive for both human enhancement and immortality has become an obsessive preoccupation of different sciences and disciplines. The issue has consequently become an equally predominant theme in literature. Inspired by this prevailing current tendency, the research critically identifies two types of immortality: biological versus Cyber artificial immortality. The paper highlights Apocalyptic AI and transhumanism as major participant movements of human enhancement and highlights related concepts like cyborg, cyber immortality and techno-theology. It provides a considerable space for the unavoidable consequences of human enhancement through technology and AI focusing on the risk put on Man’s set of religious beliefs that are bound to lose their spirituality to be technologized. It highlights a potential consequent hermeneutic of theology that reconsiders the concept of God, religion, spiritual notions like heaven, immortality, salvation and the evolution of a technological spirituality in place of a secular one. The paper proposes a hybrid approach that builds heavily on the philosophical theory of transhumanism and emphasizes the influence of Apocalyptic AI on transhumanism’s developed form of techno-theology and the possibility of leading humanity to a catastrophic apocalypse. The paper attempts a thorough reading of Ahmed Alsadik’s Hedra: The Odyssey of mortality and Immortality (Hedra:Odesa El Fanaa we Alkholoud) in light of its recommended approach. It seeks to highlight how the novel delineates a world where humans become immortal and subsequently poses some enquiries concerning the validity of cyber artificial immortality, technological singularity and the new evolving techno-theology.

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