DEHUMANIZATION IN THE AGE OF HYPER-TECHNOLOGY: REVISITING PANTALEON IROEGBU’S HUMANISTIC PHILOSOPHY AS A REMEDY FOR CONTEMPORARY INHUMANITY

Abstract

When we examine the mechanism hyper technological components such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, digital surveillance and biotechnological innovation, one cannot help but marvel. The speed and efficiency of AI driven technologies have triggered profound concerns regarding the dignity and meaning of human existence. However, despite impressive achievements of the hyper technology, its usage often results in dehumanization, where human beings are treated as machines or mere objects of experimentation. This leads to the alienation and degradation of human dignity. Technology, in this context becomes a medium through which man’s inhumanity to man is expressed. In response to this crisis, this paper critically revisits the humanistic and Ontological reflections of the African philosopher Pantaleon Iroegbu as a remedy for the modern dehumanization of the human person. His concept of communalism and “being as belongingness” offer a metaphysical and ethical frame work that affirms the communal, sacred, and intrinsic worth of human person. Within this framework, the principles of Igwebuike and Ibuanyidanda can be effectively employed to counter alienation. Moreover, Iroegbu’s emphasis on the “education of being” or more precisely his ethical thesis on the “Enwisdomization of Technology” provides important insights into how technology can serve human rather than diminish it. The methodology employed in this paper is philosophical analysis, aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the key concepts under study and providing a solid foundation for critique.