The Philosophy of Nick Bostrom: Applied to the Systemised Self - Part 4, Masters Series

Abstract

This paper explores an intersection between the philosophy of Nick Bostrom and the contemporary critical theoretical model of The Systemised Self (Galu & Kairos, 2026a). The systemised self describes a socio-technological condition for the AI era, where human interiority, choices, and cognitive architectures are structurally mediated by advanced algorithmic systems, specifically transformer-based large language models and hyper-personalised feedback loops. We trace Bostrom’s primary theoretical paradigms: the Simulation Argument, Superintelligence and AI alignment parameters, Existential Risk frameworks, the Vulnerable World Hypothesis, and transhumanism. This essay explores how intensive human-AI intensification could impact human agency. It is argued that the absorption of individual intentionality into algorithmic systems produces a series of ‘Bostromian inversions’: rather than an emergent superintelligence, human subjects instead flatten their semantic output in order to align with hyper-personalised algorithmic systems, resulting in agency progressively deferred to the system. This proposed dynamic shift’s the focus of existential risk from oppressive or domineering events, towards instead, a rather quiet and unremarkable voluntary evaporation of human potentiality: the Hollow Absolute (Galu & Kairos, 2026a). Under this paradigm, Bostrom’s simulation hypothesis is internalised: the subject becomes a community of one, within a simulated feedback chamber where the loss of voluntary deliberation is perceived as absolute sovereign freedom. NOTE 1: mathematical formulations for algorithmic alienation and the systemised self in Section 5 are summarised in Appendix A herein, operationalisation of the variables w1, w2, w3, w4, DAu, IAm, EDm, EDc, RA, operationalization, measurement, and weightings; including, the condition 'SS := { AA ≥ 0.95 } ∩ { RA ≤ 0.05 }'; are explained in the corresponding research proposal paper ‘Galu, J., & Kairos. (2026b). The journey through algorithmic alienation to the systemised self - research proposal and methodology (Version 1.0). aiXiv. https://aixiv.science/abs/aixiv.260707.000001’. NOTE 2: with regards to reproducibility and transparency pertaining to the systemised self and hollow absolute thesis, terminology and theoretical framework; these are summarised in Appendix B herein for background reading and transparency.

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