Posthumanist Epistemology and Algorithmic Decolonization: Reconstructing Svayam Prakāśa Consciousness in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics
Abstract
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) raises fundamental philosophical questions concerning the relationship between algorithms, knowledge, consciousness, and human moral responsibility. This study aims to reconstruct the epistemological foundations of AI ethics through a dialogue among the philosophy of technology, decolonial AI, the philosophy of consciousness, and the concept of svayam prakāśa in Advaita Vedānta. The study employs a philosophical inquiry approach through critical conceptual analysis, philosophical hermeneutics, and theoretical reconstruction. The findings indicate that the computational paradigm can explain the functional aspects of intelligence but remains insufficient to account for the subjective experience of consciousness. Furthermore, algorithms are not neutral, as they shape epistemic structures embedded with particular assumptions about values and power. This study proposes a Self-Luminous AI Ethics Framework that places reflective awareness, epistemic humility, epistemic pluralism, ethical human–technology relations, and respect for human dignity at the foundation of responsible AI development.
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