The Iconic Self

Human Uniqueness in the Age of Artificial Entities

By: Sijia Wang

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Hardcover | 26 November 2026

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Hardcover

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23.4 x 15.6

Hardcover

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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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