A Study on Post-Human and Post-Humanism through I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov, known for his contributions to both science fiction and non-fiction, navigated between reality and imagination through his diverse works. As a prolific writer, Asimov authored numerous books across various fields, with his science fiction novels primarily focusing on themes such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and future technologies. These themes often provided social and ethical issues regarding the identity of robots in future societies. One of his most notable works, I, Robot, depicts a future society where scientific advancements lead to robots replacing human labor, thus redefining the relationship between humans and robots. Asimov’s works, while portraying a world coexisting with robots, prompt readers to reflect deeply on human nature through the lens of robotics. Despite dealing with futuristic robots, Asimov's emphasis was paradoxically on humanism. I, Robot discusses human nature through the relationship between robots and humans, thus this paper aims to analyze post-human and post-humanism concepts. This analysis seeks to explore how we should perceive the emergence of new species and the resulting relationships in our current context. (Daejeon Health University)