When The Subject Disintegrates: On Human, Machine, And Relational Ontologies

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Published: Sep 18, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/dia.46980
Keywords:
Actor-Network Theory Posthumanism Technological Mediation Identity Socio-technical Relations
Ozlem Derin Saglam
Assoc. Professor , Istanbul Gelisim University, Türkiye
Abstract

This study aims to rethink the human-centered tradition of social theory in light of posthumanist and relational ontologies. It argues that the foundational dualisms of modern thought—human/nature, subject/object, and society/technology—are increasingly inadequate for explaining contemporary socio-technical systems. By examining Latour's actor-network theory, Haraway's cyborg figure, Braidotti's conceptualizations of the posthuman and nomadic subject, and Verbeek's theory of mediation together, it is demonstrated that the concepts of agency, responsibility, and identity are distributed between humans and non-human entities. The text argues that technological objects function not only as instrumental entities but also as structures that transform social relations, ethical positions, and subjective experiences. In this context, personal identity, consciousness, or internal continuity is not a primary focus; rather, relational networks, material interfaces, and socio-technical mediations are considered (Parfit, 1975). Methodologically, the article adopts a critical-conceptual analysis, reading classical sociology, science and technology studies, and posthumanist literature in a comparative manner. Rather than making an empirical claim, it proposes an ontological and ethical expansion of sociological thought. Fundamentally, our assessment opens up a discussion on the possibilities of a sociological understanding that redefines responsibility in terms of boundaries, relationships, and mediations, rather than absolutizing the privileged position of humans in the social world.

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