Religions and New Challenge of Science and Technology: The Empirical Study of Legal Personhood upon Artificial Life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53469/wjimt.2025.08(06).02Keywords:
Religions, Posthuman writings, Sustainable development, Legal personhood, Artificial life, Empirical studyAbstract
The impact of science and technology on religion constitutes a perennially relevant discourse, and the sustainable evolution of religious institutions within the posthuman era merits rigorous scholarly investigation. Posthumanist literature consistently cautions religious institutions regarding the profound implications for their developmental trajectory, as numerous scholars assert that the pace of technological advancement continually challenges the foundational tenets of religious belief systems. Compounding this phenomenon is the recognition that technological progress has fundamentally altered contemporary philosophical perspectives on existence, exemplified by emerging concepts such as legal personhood for artificial entities from a posthumanist vantage point. As a distinctive form of spiritual heritage, religion confronts the arduous task of preserving its canonical values amidst the transformative forces of the posthuman condition. To illuminate the psychological underpinnings of religious adherents within this context, this empirical investigation, informed by posthumanist theoretical frameworks, employs semi-structured interviews with Christian (UK) and Buddhist (China) practitioners. Utilizing SPSS for subsequent data analysis, the study further examines their perspectives on the legal personhood of artificial life and its potential ramifications for the future trajectory of religious institutions. It is anticipated that this empirical inquiry will augment existing theoretical analyses and contribute to a nuanced understanding of the prospects for the sustainable development of religions in the posthuman era.
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