EXPLORING IDENTITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS IN RICHARD K MORGAN’S ALTERED CARBON A TRANS HUMANIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This research depicts the themes of consciousness and identity in Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon through a transhumanist point of view. This research examines the novel which set in a future where human memory and consciousness can be  transferred digitally and stored between bodies, or in “sleeves,”. The novel challenges and puts forth the traditional concept of selfhood, personal continuity and embodiment. Through this philosophical theory of identity, this study investigates the personal identity which remains stable while being detached from a biological and singular form. The paper shows the notion of the self which is no longer bound in one physical body. This research analysis showcases this transferring self through  novel’s protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs. His frequent  transferring and resleeving shows the tension between embodied experience and psychological continuity. By highlighting Kovacs’ identity shifts from one body to another, this paper interrogates the idea of selfhood which extends beyond materiality. This embodiment becomes a crucial determinant and source of human experience. Moreover, the research places Altered Carbon within broader and wide transhumanist discourse. It is addressing the digital immortality, portrayal of human enhancement, body commodification and the ethical implications. The novel’s presentation of a society where the wealthy control access to use technology for their own use also becomes a critique of techno-utopian ideals. This paper further exposes the social and economic inequalities that emerge when technology starts using identity as a tradable asset.

Ultimately, this paper investigates that Altered Carbon acts as both a reflection on the implications of scientific advancements and an exposition of transhumanist possibilities. The intersections of selfhood, technology and embodiment, this study contributes to the debates on the future of identity in an era of technological evolution.