Science Fiction and Ontologies of Leadership

Abstract: The role of leadership in science fiction receives a particular analysis which is based on what can be termed transhumanist novels published in Italy between 2008 and 2013. The main purpose of this study is to answer the following question: What happens to (the nature of) leadership in a technologically-driven society? Four novels form the backbone of the description of futuristic leadership. The four conclusions drawn from this analysis regarding the nature of leadership in a technologically-driven society point to a much greater need for leadership studies to pay attention to technological advances (and the philosophical underpinnings of, specifically, transhumanism). The impact of nano-bio-technology affecting the role of leaders, followers, goals, alignment, commitment has ontological repercussions on the manner in which (augmented and unaugmented) humans deal with each other. If early augmented humans/cyborgs and any other sentient beings are in fact comparable to Giambattista Vico’s brutes, and if his corsi e ricorsi (ebbs and flows) of human history can apply to non-human, sentient beings’ history, then the work is cut out for all disciplines, but especially for those which deal with ontologies of leadership.Keywords: Science Fiction; Ontology; Leadership; Giambattista Vico; Transhumanism. La science fiction e le ontologie della leadershipRiassunto: Il ruolo della leadership nella science fiction è analizzato in base ad alcuni romanzi trasumanisti pubblicati in Italia tra il 2008 e il 2013. L’intento principale di questo studio è rispondere a questa domanda: cosa accade alla (natura della) leadership in una società guidata dalla tecnologia? Quattro romanzi costituiscono l’ossatura per descrivere la leadership futuristica. Le quattro tesi principali sulla natura della leadership in una società altamente tecnologica che derivano da questa analisi indicano come vi sia grande necessità per gli studi sulla leadership di prestare attenzione agli sviluppi tecnologici (in particolare alle fondamenta filosofiche soprattutto del transumanismo). L’impatto delle nano-bio-tecnologie sulla funzione di leader, follower, obiettivi, convergenze e impegno ha ripercussioni ontologiche sull’interazione tra esseri umani (potenziati o meno che siano). Se umani potenziati, androidi o qualunque altra creatura senziente sono de facto comparabili ai bruti di Gianbattista Vico e se i corsi e ricorsi della storia umana possono applicarsi anche alla storia di creature senzienti non umane, allora i compiti di ogni disciplina sono già definiti, in particolare per quelle che si occupano delle ontologie della leadership.Parole chiave: Science Fiction; Ontologia; Leadership; Giambattista Vico; Transumanismo

(Un)Human Relations: Transhumanism in Francesco Verso’s Nexhuman

Transhumanism is an international movement which es­pouses the idea that any human organ, function, sense, ability, can be augmented and ameliorated with the judicious use of technology. The ethical, cultural, social, biological, economic implications for this view are far-reaching and point to a number of complex ques­tions whose solution eludes researchers so far. One of the possible sources for answers to these is found in science fiction. While trans­humanism is a relatively recent phenomenon (last 25 years or so), science fiction published in English that mirrors some of its issues and ideas has been flourishing for at least as long. In Italy, science fiction is starting to enjoy popularity and critical depth in no small measure due to the untiring abilities of a number of authors. This article analyzes the intersections between human and machine as they are portrayed in Francesco Verso’s Nexhuman. Francesco Verso has published 4 award-winning science fiction novels and a number of short stories. Nexhuman offers a considerable narrative construct which paints a dystopian future where trash is formed and re-formed, sold and reworked; however, strong emotions are not absent, since love may flourish in this “kipple”-laden setting, as well as violence and obsession. Transhumanist ideas explicitly dealt with in the novel include the end of death, the question of the soul, mind uploading, limb prosthesis, the co-existence of humans with mind-uploaded be­ings. The amalgam between human and machine does away with the Self and the Other(s) as separate entities and constructs a completely different Weltanschauung. Nexhuman is not only a transhumanist trailblazer within the flourishing arena of Italian science fiction, but also a springboard for deeper understanding of what makes us human and the extent to which binary categories need to be overcome in order to create a more accommodating world