Data and Dick's Deckard: Cyborg as a Problematic Signifier
Casimir builds on Donna Haraway’s discussion of the cyborg in order to conceptualise the relationship between machine and organism. By elaborating on Haraway’s definition, Casimir describes the ways in which the cyborg signifies the intersection between the notion of machine and organism and thus disrupts two previously distinct dichotomies. Casimir argues that the breaking down of this distinction has resulted in a need to reassess to what extent organisms and machines as joined entities can be classified as ‘living’, she states that the advancement of technology complicates the definition of a machine as being ‘non-living’. Casimir argues that the extent to which something can be classified as living is determined by the subjectivity of the machine/organism and the extent to which the object/individual can operate beyond the capacity of itself. As quoted by Claude Bernard in the text, “’life’ has a goal; organic matter is working in that direction” (Bernard cited in Casimir, 1997, p. 281). Therefore the machine/organism relationship is contextualised through the merging of the previously separate spheres of organism and machine into Haraway’s cyborg. The relationship between the two is as such that machines reflect the creative and intellectual ability of the human mind while at the same time being used to advance the physical and mental boundaries of human capabilities.
Feminist Technological Futures: Deleuze and Body/Technology Assemblages
Currier begins her analysis of the relationship between machine and organism by using Haraway’s notion of the cyborg as a hybridisation of organism and machine and they ways in which technology has become an extension of human identity. This has lead to a breakdown between the distinction of what can be defined as organic or inorganic. Currier goes on to elaborate on the notion of the cyborg and the collapsing distinction between machine and organism by looking at Deleuze and Guattari’s definition of the body as an assemblage of different yet interconnected components. The discussion of the body in this manner constructs the organism in a machine-like way, being made up of a number of functioning parts. Thus Currier theorises the relationship between the two as being almost undefinable from each other. Both machine and organism consist of parts working together to function as a whole. The definition of the body as an assemblage offered by Deleuze and Guattari is similar to Haraway’s definition of the cyborg, through the linking of the human body with “material objects and social practices” (Deleuze & Guattari cited in Currier 2003, p. 325). The human body is no longer exclusively organic but a combination of organism and machine.
Cyborgs or Goddesses? Becoming a Divine in a Cyberfeminist Age
Graham reflects on the ways in which technological advancements have resulted from human interaction with the environment and how as a result the once clear distinction between organism and machine has become more open to interpretation. Using Haraway’s idea of the cyborg, Graham discusses the relationship between machine and organism as being complimentary; machines have resulted from the exploration of the limits of human intelligence and have thus helped to increase the capacity of humankind. The ability for machines and technology to reduce the limitations of human capacity has thus rendered the machine as superior to that of the organism. Graham theorises that the connection between organism and nature as being associated with femininity while the machine and technology is associated with masculinity. While the cyborg as an identity is seen to move beyond the scope of gender, the theorising of the relationship between machine and organism is still confined by that very structure and thus helps continue the “reinforcing” of “ gender dualisms” (Graham, 1999, p. 428).
Muri looks at the ways in which the declining distinction between the machine/organism relationship has lead to the theoretical view that the importance of the human body is diminishing. As a result, identity is being increasingly projected onto digital technologies as opposed to being established through human interaction. This has resulted in what Arthur Kroker and Michael Weinstein term the “post-flesh body”, where the distinction between machine and organism has completely dissolved (Kroker & Weinstein cited in Muri, 2003, pp. 74-75). Muri argues that there is still enough difference between machine and organism to be able to make a concrete distinction. Muri critiques the notion of the disappearing body through her discussion of the increasing global population and the difficulty of managing human waste in both ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ countries across the globe. She goes on to to discuss the ways in which the machine/organism relationship works hand in hand to diminish the importance of day to day survival strategies, enabling humankind to continue to push the limits of creativity and intelligence. This renders the relationship between machine and organism as self- perpetuating while still enabling the identification of two distinct means of classification.
Machines and Human Beings in the MoviesVan der Laan looks at the ways in which science fiction movies have theorised the relationship between machine and organism and the ways in which they approach technology as an extension of the organic self. He proposes that science fiction films such as The Terminator and The Matrix reflect the anxiety of humankind in losing control over machines through the knowledge that machines have been created to enhance, or in some cases, even replace the abilities of the organism in its natural state. Science fiction texts often depict Haraway’s notion of the cyborg and thus presents an imagined future where the decreasing differentiation between machine and organism becomes fully realised. As a result, the relationship between the two manifests itself as a threat to humankind through technology’s ability to embody the characteristics of what it means to be human. Science fiction films thus often disrupt the fine balance between the ways in which humans are able to benefit from their close relationship with machines. This is seen through the ways in which challenges to the human control of machines can disrupt the perceived hierarchical structure between machine and organism.
References
Casimir, V 1997, ‘Data and Dick’s Deckard: Cyborg as a Problematic Signifier.’, Extrapolation. 38(4), pp. 278-291, http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=09-11-2015&FMT=7&DID=26957852&RQT=309 (accessed 5 September 2010)
Currier, D 2003, ‘Feminist Technological Futures: Deleuze and body/technology assemblages.’, Feminist Theory. 4(3), pp. 321-337, http://fty.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/content/4/3/321.full.pdf+html (accessed 4 September 2010)
Graham, E 1999, ‘Cyborgs or Goddesses? Becoming divine in a cyberfeminist age.’, Information, Communication & Society. 2(4), pp. 419-438, http://www.informaworld.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/smpp/content~db=all~content=a713768411~frm=titlelink?words=cyborgs,goddesses
Muri, Allison 2003, ‘Of Shit and the Soul: Tropes of Cybernetic Disembodiment in Contemporary Culture.’, Body and Society. 9(3), pp. 73-92, http://bod.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/content/9/3/73.full.pdf+html (accessed 5 September 2010)
Van der Laan, JM 2006, ‘Machines and Human Beings in the Movies.’, Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society.’ 26(1), pp. 31-37, http://bst.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/content/26/1/31.full.pdf+html (accessed 3 September 2010)
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