Whither Sociology of the Vanishing Human

Whether adopting methodological individualism or structuralism, sociology's primary interest has been the human subject's living conditions, behaviors, and interactions under capitalism. In mainstream sociology, this individual is taken to be largely rational and enjoys a certain degree of freedom, autonomy, and privacy. However, many of these attributes are challenged in the current data-driven neoliberal mode of production. The individual is no longer considered an all-inclusive entity. Instead, s/he is regarded as an assemblage of data, decomposed and recomposed to serve the needs and interests of external entities. Thus, the "dividual" (as an assortment of data) has substituted the individual as the basic unit of analysis in many policy-oriented and marketing research. Furthermore, the increasing reliance on algorithms, AI, and the intensifying human-machine interface are likely to render many of the above-mentioned values untenable. In a datified and mass-surveillance governed societies, the human agency is compromised. Privacy, personal autonomy, and freedom are no longer guaranteed. Moreover, the virtual world no longer occupies a specific portion of the person's time; instead, it has become the "real" or the primary reality in which humans live. Not only are various platforms used for shopping, interacting with other humans (maybe!), and getting help and services, but also machines (robots) are entrusted with fulfilling caring functions. They might also be assigned in the near future jobs that demand discretion..

The compelling role of external factors in affecting social relations or human consciousness and behaviors - whether economism or technologism - has been realized long ago in sociological thought. In this regard, Georg Lukacs, for example, employed the concept of reification. Yet, existing sociological theorizations are unable to grapple with the unfolding reality where the virtual world, which is increasingly automated and run by machines, is taking over humans' lives.