Dignity, Transhuman Technologies and the Reconstruction of the Physical Self

Abstract

The paper aims to investigate, through a theoretical-critical methodology based on qualitative analysis. Disability, historically conceived as a clinical condition, is now recognized as a social construct shaped by cultural norms and environmental barriers. Therefore, reinterpreting the paradigm of the “social model of disability,” disability does not stem so much from physical decline as from social organization that tends to exclude or devalue physical diversity. The introduction of transhuman technologies, such as artificial intelligence, neural prosthetics, and brain-computer interfaces, is redefining the concept of disability and body enhancement, blurring the boundaries between what is natural and what is artificial. These innovations offer extraordinary opportunities to overcome physical limitations, but they also raise ethical and sociological questions related to the dignity, autonomy, and inclusion of people with disabilities. Although transhuman technologies can promote empowerment, they also risk amplifying pre-existing inequalities, reinforcing forms of exclusion based on economic access or an ideal of technologically assisted “ability.” This study explores how such technologies influence the construction of dignity and social inclusion for people with disabilities, analyzing their impact on social recognition, participation, and identity construction. Through a critical sociological perspective, the work investigates the challenges and opportunities arising from the interaction between technological innovation, social justice, and disability, offering an analysis of disability as an intersectional social construct that interacts with the dynamics of power, access, and recognition.