Author: Abdul Wadud
Abstract: The idea of progress has long been central to modern civilization, often equated with scientific advancement, technological innovation, and the expansion of human control over nature. However, in the contemporary era marked by rapid developments in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and ecological transformation, the notion of progress demands critical re-evaluation. This research article examines the moral limits of progress through a posthumanist reading of the fiction of Margaret Atwood, with particular focus on the MaddAddam Trilogy. The study argues that Atwood’s narratives expose the ethical contradictions inherent in the pursuit of technological and scientific perfection, revealing how such ambitions often lead to ecological degradation, social fragmentation, and moral collapse. Drawing upon posthumanist theory, bioethics, and ecocriticism, the article demonstrates that Atwood critiques the anthropocentric foundations of progress and calls for an alternative ethical framework grounded in interdependence, humility, and responsibility. Ultimately, her work underscores the urgent need to reconsider the meaning and direction of progress in an age defined by posthuman possibilities.
Keywords: Posthumanism, Progress, Ethics, Bioengineering, Margaret Atwood, Anthropocentrism, Ecocriticism, Dystopia, Technoscience, Moral Responsibility.
Page No: 219-224