In the quest of finding materials online for the second question, I began by using the Google search machine. From the search results, I further inspected the sources used in the articles found and searched authors and keywords from there. I believe that a critical discussion of this question requires both sides of the argument to be shown. Hence, I searched for articles that had information related to the subject of cyborg and the human body, and then followed by articles that both agreed and opposed the notion.
Satyrs, Frankenstein, Machine Men, Cyborgs
This article, retrieved from the website called World-Information.org, has the scholarly authority of The Institute for New Culture Technologies/Public Netbase from Vienna. It essentially brings about the view that there are many known parallels between man and non-human. In the beginning of the article, the author covers when the idea of the hybrid between the two came about. This aspect of the article would be important as it provides the history of the aforementioned idea which dated back to the time of mythology. The article also provides reasons for the early depiction of ‘half-man half-machine creatures’ such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It also mentions how the non-human world consists of not only ‘animal and divine worlds’ but most importantly, the world of technology. In fact, the article added that even the purist meaning of Man is unclear and is further affirmed by Darwin and Freud’s theories. These pieces of information would hence be useful for the introduction of the essay.
The article published in 2001 by Eugene Thacker was extracted from an online journal called the Culture Machine in the United Kingdom. It talked in depth about the Visible Human Project (VHP) and gave a thorough study on how it is usually done. Having the cadavers to be sliced in cross-sections and transferred to the digital format suggests that each part of the human body is holistic. It also covered important sub-topics such as Issues, History and Consequences regarding the digital anatomy. I would find this useful in my essay as I would be able to compare the digitalized concept of the body as compared to the perception of the regular human body. Thacker also suggested that the VHP creates an exclusive bond between ‘virtual technologies and the body’ (Thacker, 2001, Power and Body). In fact, he also analysed how the VHP brought upon a different version of ‘truth’ in regards to the anatomical body (Thacker, 2001, Power and Body).
Jessica Santone’s article is from the University of Chicago and is written in the winter of 2003. The article provides information and understanding of what I need to know about cyborgs. For example, it mentioned that the cyborg possesses both real and mythical aspects in its existence and pointed out that it could be used as a ‘subject position’ (Santone, 2003). Furthermore, Santone provided the intrinsic connection between Man and machine in a cyborg and how the human interrelates with technological inventions. Consequently, I am able to find out the extent of how the body can be reinterpreted other than being human. One of the important details in the article revealed that the cyborg body was deduced as to being more holistic. This would be essential in regards to the Visible Human Project mentioned in the question.
Imagining the Posthuman: Patricia Piccinini and the Art of Simulation
Kim Toffoletti is an associate lecturer in Women's Studies at Deakin University in Australia. This article was written in 2003 and was taken from the University of Western Australia’s Outskirts Online Journal archive. Toffoletti touched on the works of Australian visual artist Patricia Piccinini to branch out the idea of technoscience and reality. One important aspect of Piccinini’s digital work was of a crafted female model with an equally crafted rat resting on top of the model’s fingers. Toffoletti pointed out that with the aid of the digital imagery, the ‘interconnected biological systems of the human and animal species are made possible’ (Toffoletti, 2003). This is most relevant to my essay as I would be able to distinguish how the body is modified and viewed as something more than human when being digitalized. Toffoletti also compared the accomplished works of Donna Haraway and Paccinini whereby technological determinism was shunned in regards to the idea that machines would be a threat to the human existence. This would make a relevant point in my essay as it showed limitations of the body losing its human aspects.
Grant Gillett is a professor of Biomedical Ethics in University of Otago in New Zealand. He wrote this article in May 2005 derived from the Journal of Medical Ethics. It covers various fictional case studies for readers to critically assess their opinions in regards to technological enhancements such as ‘Head Injury and Neurorehabilitation’ and ‘Personal Upgrade with Micronetworks’ (Gillett, 2005). This would be useful for my essay as there are examples to analyse readers’ opinions regarding the reinterpretation of the body and its modifications. Gillett also observed the issue of what determines the human soul under the sub-header ‘What is a Human Soul?’ It covered the moral and ethical aspects of the human body and whether silicone could ever replace human flesh and blood. This would be essential to the opposing notion to the guiding question.
In conclusion, all five of the online sources provide the understanding of the cyborg manifestation and its relation to the human body. The first two articles covered both Frankenstein and the VHP in detail while ‘Cyborg’ written by Santone gave useful information and perspectives about the cyborg. The last two articles showed arguments about the human body being integrated with cyber technology and also its moral identity.
References
Santone, Jessica (2003) ‘cyborg’ http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/cyborg.htm (accessed 25 August 2008)
Thacker, Eugene (2001) ‘Lacerations: The Visible Human Project, Impossible Anatomies, and the Loss of Corporeal Comprehension’ http://www.culturemachine.net/index.php/cm/article/viewArticle/293/278 (accessed 25 August 2008)
Toffoletti, Kim (2003) ‘Imagining the Posthuman: Patricia Piccinini and the Art of Simulation’ http://www.chloe.uwa.edu.au/outskirts/archive/volume11/toffoletti (accessed 25 August 2008)
World-Information.Org (2005) ‘Satyrs, Frankenstein, Machine Men, Cyborgs’ http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611777/100438658891 (accessed 26 August 2008)
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