The Establishment and Advancement in Technology - Essay Example

Are you a Cyborg? Why? Or Why not? Introduction The establishment and advancement in technology has influenced greatly the way people interact, relate to each other, work and function. Technology has over the decades helped human beings ease manual work, increase efficiency, improve quality of production, enhance effectiveness of operational and work processes. Technology has made it possible to easily compensate their incapacity such as loss of vision, hearing and loss of limbs with technologically-enabled gadgets such as hearing aids, visual aids and Cochlear implants among others. According to Gray (1995), when an individual is implanted with bionic or robotic implants meant to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in performing varied tasks or accomplishing duties or operations that they would otherwise under normal circumstances unable to do, they are defined as a cyborg. A cyborg encompasses a being that has both biological and artificial parts which are usually meant to enhance the being’s capacity and abilities in comparison to beings of the same level as defined by Rorvik (1971). In fictional work, cyborgs are portrayed as beings with exceptional intelligence, insight, physical prowess, trickery and wisdom compared to their human counterparts (Klugman, 2001). Some of these fictional cyborgs are meant to caution on the increased dependence on technology by human beings. In contemporary world, use of metaphysical and physical attachments used by human beings such as use of heart pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and insulin pumps, artificial hearts, synthetic bones, artificial blood vessels, and skin. In addition, cochlear implants, insulin pumps and visual aids among others makes the people who use them cyborg since the artificial parts improve or augment the individual’s biological systems through developed synthetic feedback means. As technology has more and more influenced human existence, cyborg is perceived as a hybrid of the human and technological forms. This report critically discusses whether I am a cyborg and if I am why and if I am not, why not. Am I a cyborg? Why or Why not? Biotechnology which combines the biological aspects to the technological aspects, has elicited heated debate and criticisms for and against it. While some sees it as a means to advance and progress the human existence, others see it as a means to human extinction (Rose, 2007). According to Rose (2003), bio-power that comes with biotechnology has greatly influenced modern ethics, politics, medicine and communities. (Gordon, 1991) defines bio-power as the set of systems through which the essential biological features of the human species become the point of political strategies. In the field of medicine, biotechnology has altered the way health is sustained from curative measures to preventive mechanisms which has influenced health decisions made collectively by communities and by individuals (Rose, 2003). In the same breath, it has seen development of essential therapies which enhances life expectancy and sustainability for global communities. Modern biotechnologies used in medicine include development of Anti-retroviral drugs meant to sustain life expectancy for HIV-infected patients. Other medical ventures where cyborgs are created entails patients who have lost their legs or arms and prosthetic legs or arms are used to replace their lost ones which enable them to restore their capacity to walk or use their arms. Such patients become cyborgs based on their ability to replace their lost body parts and regain their functionality as they would if they had their natural arms and legs (Rorvik, 1971). On the other hand, they are cyborgs if the prosthetic arms or legs not only helps them restore their abilities to walk or use their hands, but also the artificial parts are able to enhance the patient’s capacity such as writing or typing faster, jumping higher or sprinting faster as highlighted by Klugman (2001). Am I a cyborg was the question and the answer is yes I am. Machines, which are production of human and features of our embodiment represents human efforts to develop solutions to challenges and portray the human’s desire to have a better life. Among the reasons I do say I am a cyborg is because my life is partly reliant on technology for existence as suggested by Gray (2001). An illustration of this is that presently, I do make use of contact lenses to improve my shortsightedness, while my teeth are implanted with a tooth implant to compensate an upper tooth I lost in an accident. Both contact lenses and the tooth implants are so similar to the real body organs it is virtually impossible to tell them apart as they easily assimilate with the body. They have mechanical connection or integration with the body system to ensure they are able to function as purposed and ensure the body mechanism does not reject the implants. Based on Haraway (1991) definition of cyborg, cyborg entails symbols of places and things that seek to eliminate conventional boundaries that combines reality and fiction and are utilized for political intent to clear boundaries between beliefs, sexuality, gender, principles and ideals. According to Donna, such a being that alters long held ideologies and norms permits assessment of deep-rooted ideals concerning the advantages of advancement, using nature for cultural means and a means to define who people are (Haraway, 1991). Among boundaries blurred by a cyborg include male and female, man and machine, mind and body and self and others among other traditional distinctions as mentioned by Murphie & Potts (2003). Therefore, I consider myself a cyborg due to my perception of the rights of all human beings irregardless of their sexual orientation. I have a deep belief that individuals such as guys and lesbians are as much entitled to their rights to assemble, belong, worship, work and relate as would other heterosexual individuals. Such an outlook on sexuality on my part defines me as a cyborg based on Donna’s definition. I am a greater believer in using machines for the betterment of the human life. If this means using technological parts and mechanisms to enhance biological efficiency and life expectancy of human life, then as an individual I propose the use of the technological parts and mechanisms. Such beliefs and attitude towards the value of machines would generate criticism from quotas that would perceive such sentiment and viewpoints as a way of blurring the traditional boundaries between man and machine and dehumanization of people in contemporary society, which defines me as cyborg as highlighted by Haraway (1991). Among other reason I call myself a cyborg is illustrated by my over-dependence on technology to move from one place to another using technical machines such vehicles, to communicate via technical gadgets such as computers, telephones and the mobile phones, to entertain myself through technical devices such as through video games, I-pods, cable television and radio among others. Due to limited time to socialize, technology has made it easy for me to meet and interact with thousand of strangers from all over the world by a mere click of the mouse through internet social networking sites such as facebook, my space and tweeter. Other instances include my over-reliance on home appliances such as air conditioners, microwaves, fridges, washing machines, coffee makers and ovens among others. Although some would argue that a cyborg has to have synthetic feedback mechanisms to qualify as one, the fact these technical equipments make my life much easier, effective and more efficient than it would otherwise be, makes me a cyborg based on my reliance on them to function optimally. If these technical gadgets and equipments did not exist, my life as I know it would be less efficient, slow, inconsistent and at worse disorderly. Through technology, I am more able and proficient in carrying out professional and personal tasks compared to an individual who does not have access to such. Klugman (2001), mentions that cybernetic components play two major functions namely to restore or substitute for the function of a lost body parts or abilities through injury or failure and improve the capacity of man. From this point of view then, I would define myself as a cyborg since technology plays a significant role in my day to day existence and enhances my ability to perform better, though the above mentioned technology that I heavily rely on are not implanted in my body in order for them to enhance my abilities and efficiency. It is important to mention however, the above mentioned technologies that have enhanced my abilities to perform better such as vehicles, fridges, video games and social networks among others, which are not implanted into my body systems that do not have direct synthetic feedback systems do not necessarily fall under any defined cybernetic components and therefore from another person’s point of view, their use as an indication of me as a cyborg may be critically debated if not refuted out rightly. I can safely define myself as a cyborg based on my constant use of supplements such as vitamins to enhance my immunity against diseases and infections and improve my overall fitness. The fact that supplements do enhance my ability to have a healthy life free of ailments and safeguard the body systems against attack by opportunistic infections, makes the supplements cybernetic components that are meant to give me the super body just as steroids does for athletics in supplementing them with vigour, speed and energy as discussed by (Klugman, 2001). Then, I would wonder, if my one time use of sexual enhancement drugs meant to enhance my ability to perform better sexually and enhance my sexual energy in my teenage years qualifies me to be a cyborg? Since, the drugs did not only enhance my libido, they prolonged it for a longer period of time than I would normally sustain and enhanced my sexual energy quadruple. Nevertheless, I may not qualify as a cyborg based on Chorost (2005), ‘ Between Two Worlds’ that suggest that a cyborg encompasses an individual with artificial parts that not only offers mechanical support, but also, makes decisions about what to do and acts on the body systems to perform the chosen actions. Chorost (2005) categorically highlights that a cyborg technology exercise control of some sort over the body. The author highlights synthetic components such as heart pacemaker, insulin pumps and cochlear implants to be the real cyborg technology. This would mean my use of technical devices such as phones, internet and vehicles; supplements such as vitamins, contact lenses and tooth implant do not qualify me as a cyborg and therefore, I require to be implanted with cybernetic components that have somewhat control and power over my body systems for me to be defined as cyborg as discussed by Chorost (2005). Since the supplements such as vitamins only function to support the immune systems and provide the body systems with nutrients and building blocks that function as they do normally, they not validate me as a cyborg. From the book’s definition of cyborg I cannot be defined as a real cyborg but a functional cyborg since real cyborg technology has cybernetic control over the body, which technical devices such as phones and internet do not have on me. Even though artificial components such as contact lenses and the tooth implant enhances my ability to see better on long range and eat respectively, they do not have characteristics of a real cyborg technology as they would need to exert control on my body and influence decisions for them to qualify me as a cyborg as discussed by Chorost (2005). Although I may perceive myself as a cyborg based on my ideals and philosophies using Donna’s definition of a cyborg and Klugman’s definition of a cyborg as an individual who uses synthetic components to replace or enhance their abilities (Klugman, 2001), to others I would remain an individual who makes technology works for them or a functional cyborg based on the book (Chorost, 2005). This only gets to show the increasing debate on the distinction between man and machine and the role technology plays in contemporary society. This controversy has generated more debate on issues of citizenship in this biotechnical era as discussed by Rose (2003). As the author mentions advancement in biomedicine, biotechnology and genomics has generated a new type of citizenship, owing to the changing dynamics of citizenship with inability of states to delimit its people in relation to their place of birth, race or ethnicity. Biological citizenship as Rose describes it, has generated citizens who comprehend their nationality, loyalty and peculiarity biologically Rose (2003). This has enabled them to integrate themselves to their counterparts and distinguish themselves from others partially in biological terms, shaping their interactions with their self with their understanding of their somatic individuality. Rose (2003) emphatically stresses that this new citizenship is portrayed in an array of challenges over self identity, collectivism, need for recognition and access to knowledge, which develops news gaps of public dispute about politics of embodied and somatic citizens. The author mentions that emerging subjectivities, politics and ethics are influencing modern-day biological citizens with emerging biological ideals becoming concurrently ethical and commercial. The author concludes by indicating that experimenting with and challenging the emerging relations between facts, control and commerce that impacts on people’s lives, their suffering and contesting their essential boundaries, redefines what being human is in contemporary society. Important to note is that the concept of citizenship has all the more changed as the world increasingly moves towards becoming a wholly cyborg community. With more cyborg beings, it is increasingly becoming essential to develop policies and guidelines to guide this new form of citizens. This has elicited a greater need to review the definition of a citizen and the fundamental basic rights they should have, since cyborgs need their own rights observed. Nevertheless, as amendments are made on the new biological citizen it is all the more important to ensure there are dynamic citizens and new political technologies to safeguard our rights from the unyielding changes that cyborg technologies are generating. Conclusion Different sectors and researchers define cyborg differently but they all have a common ground that cyborg is a hybrid of biological aspects of human and technological aspects that are developed to replace lost abilities or o enhance human’s ability to perform better if not more efficiently. In contemporary society, use of metaphysical and physical attachments by human beings such as use of heart pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and insulin pumps, artificial hearts, synthetic bones, artificial blood vessels, and skin. In addition, cochlear implants, insulin pumps and visual aids among others makes the people who use them cyborgs since the artificial parts improve or augment the individual’s biological systems through developed synthetic feedback means. The report has critically discussed whether I am a cyborg or not. Based on varied viewpoints I may defined as one while on other quotas, I would need to be implanted with cybernetic components that have control over my decisions of my body for me to defined as a cyborg. Cyborg techno-science is a subject that generates controversy with some advocating it as a means to enhance life expectancy and enhance human capacities, while others refuting it with perceptions that cybernetic components are a means to extinction of human beings as we know them and define them today. References Chorost, M. 2005. Rebuilt: how becoming part computer made me more human. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Gordon, C. 1991. Introduction to the Foucault Effect. Chicago: Chicago University press. Gray, C. H. 1995. The Cyborg Handbook. Upper River Saddle: Routledge. Gray, C.H. 2001. Cyborg citizen: politics in the post-human age. Upper River Saddle: Routledge. Haraway, D.J. 1991. Simians, cyborgs, and women: the reinvention of nature. Upper River Saddle: Routledge. Klugman, C.M. 2001. From cyborg fiction to Medical reality. Literature and Medicine, Volume 20, Number 1, pp. 39-54 Murphie, A. & Potts, J. 2003. Culture and technology. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Rorvik, D. M. 1971. As Man Becomes Machine: the Evolution of the Cyborg. New York: Doubleday. Rose, N. 2003. Biological citizenship. London: Blackwell Publishers. Rose, N. 2007. The politics of life itself; biopolitics in the Twenty first century. Read More