Before the discussing of “Cyborg disrupt persistent dualisms and to refashion our thinking”, let me simply explain what is cyborg. The full title of cyborg is cybernetic organism, which part of artificial and natural systems. This term is firstly introduced by Manfred E. Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. The term “cyborg” is used by them to describe a kind of human which needs to be modified in order to live outside the earth.
According to the guiding question, cyborg may disrupt persistent dualisms or to refashion our thinking. However, cyborg is difficult to define. For example, is the one who installed a heart pacemaker or an artificial limb is seen as cyborg? To what circumstances so we can see a guy as cyborg? Even clothes can be seen as artificial skin! Some definition may include artificial human or bio computer, so there is confusion to define cyborg. “The question then arises as to what exactly is and what isn’t a Cyborg. Some could regard a blind man with is cane as a Cyborg, the cane feeding important information on the local environment, to the man.” (Kelvin, 2003) In “Terminator”, T series are modified human, but all of them are seen as robot in Terminator’s world view. However, inside the cartoon “Apple Seed”, there is artificial body with real brain organism. Those organisms always claim for identity and their nationality. “For good or ill, politics has already been cyborged in ways that touch us all: On-line voting promises to change who participates. Wars are won on video screens.” (Chris, 2001) Even politics can also be cyborged. All this questions rise a problem, cyborg is difficult to define and subjective.
From the article “Discussing Self-Consciousness and Body in Terms of Cyborg” by 徐紹強, I can see cyborg may not only defined by the degree of artificial systems within an organism.
“Cyborg of the posthuman is the new type; they tightly connected with the virtual world created by internet. When surfing the net, you are putting your heart and mind into the cyberspace. Many “soul” is interacting in this space and even form a society. For example, people digitalized 911 decedent’s sound or relic and uploaded them to the net in order to memorize. Also some extreme example claims that we can digitalize our mind inside the computer, does it mean body is no longer important? To conclude, cyborg seems to be a new type who can break the boundary of culture, robot and human, different kinds of organisms, real and virtual. May be you think this new type is far from us. However in some circumstances, modern people are all cyborg. If you surf net, wearing glasses or get on the bus, you are cyborg.” (徐紹強, 2005)
Nowadays, internet world is tightly connected with human’s life. So we can see the internet world is a new place that human is going to emigrate. And cyborg can be defined as the internet users. How about the artificial system? Obviously is our computer.
Current internet world is developing in an unbelievable speed. To the people who always participate inside the internet, it is difficult for them to distinguish which one is the real world; everything is so real inside the internet. “Internet is a virtual world; this world includes human’s mind and consciousness. Mark Slouka (1998) believes that human’s identity in this space should be flowed; also the physical space is also flowed, no boundary can be found in that space. The mind you put to the virtual world is your virtual self identity or mirror. Global network becomes an integrated mind system when it is born, many minds interact each other inside the internet. Also, time is not available in the internet work, nothing inside is stable, all are created by imagination.”(徐紹強, 2005) From this article, I can understand cyborg may not be bounded physically. Just like internet, human’s mind can be mixed with internet technology and become cyborg.
I do not agree with the statement of the guiding question. The definition of cyborg should not be bounded by neither technological nor completely organic. If we agree internet users can be defined as cyborg, then the statement “cyborg is still a transgressive figure” can be understood.
In the current society, we can find out many problems rise by the use of internet. Because of the rapid internet development, we have hackers. Because of the sharing ability of internet, some famous people’s sex photos spread very fast. Internet is facilitating us, but it also derives different kinds of crime.
In 1942, an author Asimov created three rules of robot. The first rule is robot cannot harm human, or leave any human alone who is in danger. The second rule is robot must obey all rules from human besides the first rule. The third rule is robot must protect itself but not violate with first and second rule. In this time, computer is the servant and human are the principle part. So it is a big issue in controlling the mind of computer. If we cannot control it, computer may become a big disaster. Such as the movie “Terminator”; inside the story, world is nearly destroyed because the computer is out of human’s control.
Scholar Daniel Bell(1989) believes that after the industrial society is born, human will have power to change their life by using science and technology. But this change will bring out a lot of complex problems. And his belief is correct, the society has many problems which are related to internet. So if we develop more, the problems will become more serious also.
Virtual cyborg, semi-machine cyborg and full-machine cyborg are all focus in the respect to technology. Cyborg is to use technology to fetch up the weak point. And the addict of technology is just like the statement of guiding question, a transgressive figure. From the “Three rules of robot”, technology is only a machine. However, one day it may make a counterattack to human, many scholars have warned it. But according to the rapid technology development, perdition may be a necessary.
References:
Discussing Self-Consciousness and Body in Terms of Cyborg by徐紹強 :
1) Hybrid Cyborg
http://www.nhu.edu.tw/~society/e-j/69/69-01.htm#_1-1混生種的Cyborg
2) Virtual World
http://www.nhu.edu.tw/~society/e-j/69/69-01.htm#_2-1虛擬世界
Cyborg morals, cyborg values, cyborg ethics by Kelvin Warwick
http://www.springerlink.com/content/l20101l3p5625581/
Cyborg Citizen by Chris Hables Cray
http://www.powells.com/biblio?PID=24750&cgi=product&isbn=0415919789
Wikipedia, Cyborg
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