Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Iconic Self: Human Uniqueness in the Age of Artificial Entities

The Iconic Self: Human Uniqueness in the Age of Artificial Entities

Wang, Sijia
Brock, Brian
Parsons, Susan F.

Hardcover

Series: T&t Clark Enquiries in Theological Ethics

Religion General General ChristianityGeneral Computers

PREORDER - Expected ship date November 26, 2026

ISBN10: 0567727432
ISBN13: 9780567727435
Publisher: T&T Clark
Published: Nov 26 2026
Pages: 232
Weight: 1.00
Height: 1.00 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English

Is it still reasonable to believe in human uniqueness in the age of human-like AI and robots? This book provides an affirmative answer by defending our human uniqueness through inclusive human relationality, with a reference to the imago Dei.

As relational creatures, we may feel deeply related to and connected with artificial entities. However, does this relation with machines qualify as a social relation or is it simply a relation with the shadow of ourselves? This book explores these topics by offering an interdisciplinary analysis of various relations that we have with artificial entities, complemented by multiple case studies.

Wang deftly explains why human-like AI and robots cannot be considered as social others, through a phenomenological and theological understanding of alterity and human selfhood. Instead, this book offers an iconic self theory, drawing from a reading of Jean-Luc Marion. Ultimately, Wang expresses concern towards anthropomorphism in AI and robots, not as a natural tendency of the human mind, but as a human limitation in creating idol images of ourselves in AI and robots.

To embrace our limitation as humans, we, ironically, need to embrace the incomprehensibility of our humanity.

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