Selling the Self: Biopolitics and Biocapitalism in Richard Powers’s Generosity: An Enhancement

Prasaja V. P. Research Scholar (Part-time Internal) Reg. No.: 21123154012021, Research Centre: Department of English, S. T. Hindu College, Nagercoil. (Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli-627012, Tamil Nadu, India.) Email: prasajavp@gmail.com

Dr. M. Saji Research Supervisor, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English and Research Centre, S. T. Hindu College, Nagercoil. (Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli-627012, Tamil Nadu, India.)

Abstract
Science fiction or sci fi often presents the theme of human transformation and alteration of human identity through technological advancement. Writers of science fiction often speculate on human augmentation to question the binary of natural and artificial. While numerous science fiction authors have explored the theme of physical augmentation, Richard Powers’s approach represents a novel undertaking in addressing the issue of moral enhancement. In his narratives, enhancement becomes a double-edged sword. While enhancement provides the promise of greater potentiality, it also raises probing questions about the nature of human identity and the consequences of pushing the boundaries of natural evolution.

Generosity: An Enhancement presents a speculative vision of genetic enhancement and its capitalist underpinnings. It depicts the commodification of the human body as an object of scientific and economic exploitation. Powers questions the impact of posthuman capitalism by showing how genetic engineering is used to turn human into a commodity. In his narrative, biotechnology becomes a tool not only for scientific exploration but also for profit-making. It raises questions about autonomy, identity, and ethics. In the midst of a world transformed by advances in genetic engineering and human enhancement, the novel centers on a protagonist whose genuine optimism and inner strength spark both scientific interest and ethical debate. The research article titled “Selling the Self: Biopolitics and Biocapitalism in Richard Powers’s Generosity: An Enhancement” examines how the novel critiques the commodification of human life and genetic enhancement within the framework of biocapitalism, exploring the intersection of biopolitics, technology, and commercial exploitation.

Keywords: Biocapitalism, Biopolitics, Commodification, Human enhancement, Bioethics.