From the humanism of Modernity and the Enlightenment there sprang great confidence in the ability of human reason and the potential of the human spirit to define not only the course of our life but also our codes of values.
What followed in the twentieth century did not confirm the anthropological optimism of modernity. Despite significant scientific achievements and social gains, humanity emerged deeply wounded from two world wars, from holocausts, genocides, ethnic cleansings, divisions, totalitarian regimes and the cold war.
Modern societies recognize the need for science and ethics to make common progress. Ethics is, however, unable to keep pace with the rapid developments in bio-medical technology, the digital eco-system, cybernetics and robotics, all of which are factors which create new actualities for life and reality and which foster expectations which are ever less likely to be regarded as scenarios from science fiction. Artificial intelligence, the latest achievement of scientific applications, has already taken over a large number of everyday functions, meeting human needs through the digital eco-system and automation. However, the prospect that it may be linked to human nature itself and to the human person poses huge questions for the fields of ethics, anthropology, science, philosophy and theology.
The deductions by modern intellectuals who link AI to the evolution of the human species have introduced new terms such as trans-human and post-human. These terms have already been the subject of extensive scientific, philosophical and theological reflection. Without doubt, they will soon come under the scrutiny of politics and the law.
Of particular concern is the outbreak of a kind of deconstructionist and hostile rightsism which has become marked in the world, known as wokeism. Already, important thinkers have noted the reversal and traducement of commonly accepted values, and even of common sense, at the altar of a new attitude to life and a theory. The latter, either through fear-engendering hysteria or through a skillfully veiled mask, changes the concepts of anthropology, the socially accepted and the politically correct and thus abolishes every universal criterion of exactitude. This attitude, which a misinterpretation, misuse and abuse of the foundation of human rights, may bring with it disastrous results if it forms the anthropological basis for the espousal of artificial intelligence and what is characterized as post-humanism.
It should be stressed that Orthodox Christian Theology does not have human rights as its main theme, but rather the rights of God. Nevertheless, Orthodox Christian theologians do talk about human rights, and have put forwards certain improvements or additions to the existing theories. These do not seem to have moved or to move people to any great extent. Today we have arrived at ‘Woke Culture’.
Wokeism is perhaps particularly topical for theology. But here, being woke must be of an entirely different nature. If wokeism for post-modern people aims at their liberation from all natural, human and social restrictions, by abrogating them and consenting to absolute contrariness and wantonness, for Orthodox Christian theology it should aim at our total liberation, which is achieved through submission to the will of the Incarnate Word. Although this truth exists in Orthodox Christian theology, it is not sufficiently emphasized in its encounter with everyday reality. The total manumission proposed by wokeism removes their humanity from people, in essence leading to the destructuring of society and death at its own hand. This is easy and can be applied comfortably in everyday life, as witnessed by its wide-spread acceptance. Complete adherence to the will of the Incarnate Word is difficult, however, and is achieved through everyday sacrifice. But that does, indeed, lead to absolute freedom, to the freedom of God Who is unable to do evil, that is to deny Himself. This is our absolute freedom: the freedom of deification.
Having been made in the image of the absolutely personal God, we are stifled by the limitations of our created nature. Our nature has lost its unity. It has become alienated and fractured. The desire for absolute freedom has been undermined by the alienation of our nature. We feel chained to our self and seek total liberation from the outside world. We despair over our naive attempts at self-knowledge and hope to be redeemed through knowledge of and exploitation of the world that surrounds us. The sciences and technology are constantly discovering means of satisfying our material needs and desires, even while they are also deepening despair, as well as the concern for the tragedy we observe at the depth of our inner world and the state and prospects of our existence. We rejoice at our successes but are also wary of their consequences.
The classical Ancient Greek exhortation ‘Know thyself’ is rather intimidating because, when it is not applied with the façade of hypocrisy and narcissism, it intensifies disappointment and leads to despair. This is where the ascetic tradition of Christianity presents the way of the cross and resurrection, culminating in the charismatic despair of the ascetics.
Every person knows that they are not the cause of their existence. Having accepted God as our creator, it is natural that we also seek from him the meaning and purpose of our existence. Christians are called upon to take up their cross and follow Christ ‘wherever he goes’. ‘We commend ourselves and others and all our life to Christ our God’. The common journey in this direction, with a humble outlook, offers people support in their difficulties and imbues their despair with grace.
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