Monday, March 31, 2008

Critical Annotated Webliography by Anthea Ho

Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Frankenstein is a modern indication of artificial technology. It reflects the human beings are striving for advancing the new technologies. As I am searching for the online resource of some information about how the Frankenstein impacts on the various discussions on recent technologies, we could be able to figure out the bioethics and humanity are going to be greater challenged by the rise of artificial technologies. Frankenstein brings up an idea of artificial technologies such as reproductive technologies, cloning and DNA technologies. Humanity is further being more and more artificial since the blooming of new technological development. I am going to do the research which is mainly based on the evolution of technologies are closely connected with the effect of human nature and cyber culture issues.

Will technology change humanity, or has it already? [1] Through the article, it has provided a critical reflection of the advanced technology has changed to the living culture and humanity is declining its association towards the human communication and basic human nature. Since it has proved that the artificial technologies would take the advantage over everything and would be able to control the human life. Personally the technology helps people solve different problems but it also brings out a number of issues we have to much concern. Things are getting into too complicated while our life are fully occupied by mechanical sense and can’t live without technologies. Life is feeling like a sort of non – human and the human value are totally relied on technology. It suggests that people have to postpone the rapid development of artificial technologies in order to give a space for people learn and enjoy the success of human evolution in which technology is just a most beneficial outcome for the society. Then, it also reminds people not to be over controlled by the machine in which people can see the negative influence by the growth of new technologies from this article.

Cloning in the media and popular culture [2] Giovanni Maio (2006) stated that the cloning technologies are properly portrayed an interesting topic for the mass media. Obviously, the Frankenstein is one of the most typical examples which aroused the media to contribute their enthusiasm for expressing the idea of “copying” human being. However, Frankenstein is revealed as an anti – image and a split personality which mean dangerous and soul - less being. As mass media would like to introduce the cloning technologies are dehumanized and risky to the human being through the metaphor of Frankenstein which can reinforce the worse image of artificial technologies. The media are quick to take up and emphasize the risks inherent to cloning technologies. Therefore, people are able to realize that Frankenstein influences an ethnic issue about the cloning and also other artificial technologies which is completely transmitted by the media. We can find that critical argument on bioethics and genetic determinism which reflect the social and genetic bias in dominant society. In the sense of scientists, cloning technology is fulfilling the superiority and reversing the human nature in order to maintain the body physically relive.

Stem Cells and Human Cloning: The Postmodern Prometheus [3] According to the depiction of a concept of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818), the human creation is a new technological beginning in which has been rising its impact since 19th century. The history of reproductive technologies is introduced in this article, in which the development of reproductive technologies are much better than we expected and known. In terms of nowadays reproductive aspect, scientists are assisting the human reproduction through mechanism and no longer only depending on the human process. The narrative of Frankenstein is not only a popular imagination that actually can be fulfilled by the recent high technology. The advantage of the increasing popularity towards reproductive technologies is helping female gain another solution to resolve the problem on reproduction however it might also bring out a political and moral issue. These technologies and their discussion inevitably cheapen human life and degrade the worth of all human beings. Even the achievement of new technologies is delightful for the human evolution, it is undoubtedly convinced the matter of value of human life and gave people to further consider the both positive and negative influences of artificial technologies in modern society. The greater technological development leads the greater dilemma of humanity.

The Frankenstein Syndrome: Ethical and Soical Issues in the Genetic Engineering of Animals [4] Rollin (1995) has implicated a powerful technology which is able to advance a various part of genetic engineering of animals. However the author also tried to inform the readers that it might also stimulate a further discussion on moral and social issues. As Rollin argued that the metaphor of Frankenstein leads the concept of self organizing a human life which is absolutely failure and opposed the nature being, the popular imagination of Frankenstein would risk exaggerating the benefit of genetic technologies. Also, Rollin also considered that there are diverse significant ethnic elements of animals cloning such as the basic right and welfare which people have to pay much attention on it. Government and society are strongly recommenced to restrict the application on genetic engineering of animals in various aspect in terms of preventing an abuse of animal cloning or overwhelming the humanity that consequences an unknown harms in some ways.

The Effect of Artificial Intelligence Techniques on the Ethical Role of Computer Scientists [5] The emerging of technology is inevitably and common to better develop in modern society. The role of artificial intelligence is becoming greater important and professional than the old days. According to raising power of computer technology Dunnuck (2002) proved that its application and function within the social and interacting human life is capable of equally comparing with human being. The manipulation of computer programs has already taken a control over mankind intelligence. The conflict between technology and humanity is being stronger and dramatically adapted to various part of life. In the other hand, still technology is continuing to haunt a need and proactive desire to the society, the influence of technology is complex to achieve an appropriate balance of humanity. From the article, it reminds that a proper use of recent technology would be a tool as making life much fulfilling. Otherwise, lots of moral and ethical problem would be caused.

A Cloning of Your Own? : The Science and Ethics of Cloning [6] Frankenstein is created by certain assembling part of dead body whose power to reconstruct a reanimating power of human life. The concept of assembling body is similar to the main theme of animal cloning and even much relate to human cloning that challenge the ethical discussion against the recent artificial technologies. Nevertheless, the mechanical reproduction explains the myth of Frankenstein can be happened in the reality. Creating life in a laboratory is less humanizing as well as alarming the public consciousness and moral harms that might make scientists hide the truth of the developing process of cloning. The discussion is still controversial and aggressive towards the human right and ethnics’ issue.

In the conclusion, the popular imagination of Frankenstein would continue a controversial argument to the recent technology especially co relate to the evolution of artificial technology such as cloning and reproduction. Moreover, moral and ethnic issues increasingly bring up to the mainstream topic of technological development and they are gradually being popular to be more concerned and discuss. When I am going to do the online research about the discussion between Frankenstein and artificial technologies, obviously there are some similarities could be found between two, but mostly the humanity aspect is still being challenged and constrained.

Reference lists:
[1] Robin, P. (2005) Will Technology changed humanity, or has it already?. Canada Free Press, Retrieved March 31, 2008, from
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/robin022805.htm

[2] Giovanni, M. (2006) Cloning in the media and popular culture. Retrieved 31 March, 2008, from
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1456881

[3] Joan, S. (2006) Stem Cells and Human Cloning: The Postmodern Prometheus. In The Kenyon Observer and in Analog: Science Fiction and Fact. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from
http://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol114/Chap14/clone.html#top

[4] Bernard, E. Rollin. (1995). The Frankenstein Syndrome: Ethical and Soical Issues in the Genetic Engineering of Animals. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NFr2MXHFxZQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=frankenstein+humanity&ots=zGBPIxMEc7&sig=84wGjR18lw5NXflnhys6xme55EA#PPA98,M1

[5] Nicholas, S. D. (2002). Technology Beyond Our Control. In The Effect of Artificial Intelligence Techniques on the Ethical Role of Computer Scientists. (Chapter 3.) Retrieved March 31, 2008, from
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~evans/theses/dunnuck.pdf

[6] Arlene, J. K. (2006). A Cloning of Your Own? : The Science and Ethics of Cloning. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from
http://books.google.com/books?id=JVagpD0snTsC&pg=PA45&dq=frankenstein+cloning&lr=&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=vtZqj7apKzmGrBISkvyGYoGDRDE#PPR31,M1

A Critical Annotated Webliography

1. Judy Waczman argues that Donna Haraway’s figure of the cyborg has taken on “a life of its own” in popular culture, science fiction and academic writing. In what ways has it been taken up by feminists?

Introduction:
To see how feminists discuss on Haraway’s cyborg theory, I am trying to search the online source based on some keywords, such as feminism, feminist, and Haraway’s cyborg. Then, I discover many meaningful terms from the articles which I have searched, such as postmodern, post-gender, post-human, hybridity, blur, categories, distinctions, boundaries, human, machine, man, women, monster, others, constructivism, and deconstruction, etc. These terms are giving me a basis idea about what I am going to summary.

[1] Baukje Prins’s The Ethnics of Hybrid Subjects: Feminist Constructivism According to Donna Haraway:

Baukje Prins says that cyborg has played an important role in science fiction literature since the 1950s, but Donna Haraway uses it – “the label of science fiction” – as an icon to blur the binary opposition.
It is because Haraway thinks any practices of social categories just a process of reinforcing the notion of hierarchy. So cyborg is a way to liberate people from the authority and suppression. Prins believes cyborg which depicts as a “monster” and “hybrid creature” presents as an icon to blur the notions of normal/abnormal, and us/others.
She describes cyborg is “a constructivist approach” to re-think whether the existence of “grand categories” is absolute right and unproblematic or not. However, she points out that Haraway’s cyborg is constructed for deconstruct the “pre-given categories” may have a possibility to “edge closer to the invisible in-betweens”.

[2] Anne Cranny-Francis’s Somatic Technologies: Embodiment, New Technologies and the Undead:

Anne Cranny-Francis mentions that Donna Haraway’s cyborg has “deployed” in science fiction, and it leads the critical thinking of “the relationship between human embodiment and technology”. Cyborg is depicted as a figure “with digital and bio-technologies” and with the hybridity between human and machine that it does manifest its “power”.
But she states that the metaphor of cyborg which contains a “power” may not “a specifically western phenomenon” but relates to its “textual history”, she thinks one of its “inter-textual references” is “the image of the crucified Christ”.
She argues the “power” of cyborg in a certain extent is like Christ’s body in the late middle Ages that it was the “function as a site of political struggle”, such as “between the laity and the Church”, “between the common people and their leaders”; indeed it is not a struggle only on the ideas, but “a fully engaged and embodied struggle over the nature of being”.
She states that the analogy between the Christ’s body and the cyborg’s body is not going to support or oppose the Haraway’s cyborg theory. It is showing that the “semiotically and culturally powerful and effective” cyborg is not a new thinking in the western cultures. It may be “embedded in western consciousness and subject formation through its earlier manifestations in Christian devotion, which was erotically-charged, affect-laden and corporeally manifest”.

[3] Elizabeth Lane Lawley’s Computers and the Communication of Gender:

Elizabeth Lane Lawley says that new technology communication leads the changing of the definitions of male and female. Then, she introduces Donna Haraways’s cyborg, which is “a tool for both confusing and reconstructing the boundaries of gender,” to support her view.
Lawley believes the notion of cyborg is helping us to use a rather positive perspective to encounter the “instabilities” boundaries when facing the new technology communication, such as computers. She states that it is no longer to judge anything based on what we see after we realized the phenomenon of “shattered categories and shifting identities” on cyborg and any new technologies.
To blur any current categories, no matter on the areas of the new technologies and the definitions of males and females, the notion of cyborg is helping us to aware that this privileged “categories” is actually controlled by men who have more “political and economic power” than other categories such as women.

[4] Carolyn Keen’s Carolyn Keen on Haraway, "Cyborg Manifesto":

Carolyn Keen says that Haraway’s Cyborg theory can be a contemporary socialist-feminist study on the "women's situation in the advanced technological conditions of postmodern life in the First World".
Marxist, psychoanalytic, feminist, and anthropological used to for studying the class, race and gender now can be replaced by Cyborg theory. Why?
The article elaborates that Marxist “humanism” which people can just “come to know the subject through labor”. Psychoanalysis is talking about “the birth of self” or “woman as other”, etc., in which women are “separated” from men or “less selfhood”. Feminism is arguing gender is a “construction”; however it raises the problem about “lapsing into boundless difference and giving up on the confusing task of making partial, real connection".
However, she points out “Haraway's political-scientific analysis of where ‘we’ are going: ‘We are living through a movement from an organic, industrial society to a polymorphous, information system.’” By this mean, this theory closes to our current situation.
It stresses that the concept of cyborg can “evade” the traditional notions about women and “complicate” the traditional binary opposition between men and women. It is helping the physical “us” have a better living in the rapid changing world.

[5] Alison Caddick’s Feminist and Postmodern: Donna Haraway's Cyborg:

Alison Caddick indicates that Haraways’s cyborg is taking the “new philosophical standpoints” to study a subject of “postmodern feminism” and it is good to help us to re-define the women roles in the post-modern world.
However, the disadvantages of cyborg may also be found. Firstly, the concept of cyborg becomes as “technobabble” when it exists to break the common understanding or agreements on the ideas. Secondly, it functions as “a level of a convert play for power” or “on reflection wish to propagate”; but the problem is when Haraway tries to blur any distinctions, it, “ultimately”, may difficult to “hang on to any sense of reality at all”.

[6] Robyn Clough’s Sexed Cyborgs? Please tick appropriate box: M, F, other:

In this article, Robyn Clough asserts that “technological innovation makes it harder for us to draw the distinctions between human, animal and technology, challenging the coherences of the human body as a discrete organic unity.”
To support this statement, she investigates into Donna Haraway’s cyborg that it is “a figuration of post human bodies that embraces the interfacing of the organic and machine”. However, on the other hand, she points out Haraway’s cyborg is actually “a self-consciously sexed cyborg that expresses an acknowledgment of the differences amongst women such as race, class and sexuality” or the bodies are difficult to confirm such as “transsexual” and “intersex bodies”.
In fact, this is not a radical criticism on Haraway’s cyborg. Clough just uses cyborg as an example to discuss any possibility – no matter the sexual differences or the combinations of human nature – would happen in the post-modern world.

Conclusion:

After I studied these six feminists’ discussion on Donna Haraway’s figure of the cyborg, I found that cyborg has become the controversial topics particular on women studies for over decades. Some feminists do positively think cyborg can blur the social categories in which men have more authority but women are suppressed. However, some feminists may question whether cyborg is really blur the distinctions or in a certain extent to reinforce or re-create any possible or invisible distinctions. In my perspective, cyborg can help people to aware the correlation between human and technology, and also to keep in mind that any distinctions may be facing the challenges in the postmodern world.

Bibliography:
[1] Prins, Baukje. ‘The Ethics of Hybrid Subjects: Feminist Constructivism According to Donna Haraway’ in Science, Technology, & Human Values, Vol. 20, No. 3, Special Issue: Feminist and Constructivist Perspectives on New Technology (Summer, 1995), pp. 352-367 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0162-2439(199522)20%3A3%3C352%3ATEOHSF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B (accessed 29 March 2008)

[2] C.F, Anne. ‘Somatic Technologies: Embodiment, New Technologies and the Undead’
http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=84 (accessed 28 March 2008)

[3] L. L., Elizabeth. (1993). ‘Computers and the Communication of Gender’
http://itcs.com/elawley/gender.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[4] Keen, Caroyn. ‘Carolyn Keen on Haraway, “Cyborg Manifesto”’
http://www.english.upenn.edu/~jenglish/Courses/keen2.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[5] Caddick, Alison. ‘Feminist and Postmodern: Donna Haraway’s Cyborg’
http://www.arena.org.au/ARCHIVES/General%20Archive/arena_99-100/haraway.html (accessed 30 March 2008)

[6] Clough, Robyn. ‘Sexed Cyborgs? Please tick appropriate box: M, F, other’ in Social Alternatives, v.16, no.1, Jan 1997: 20-22. Availability: ISSN: 0155-0306.
http://forms.library.uwa.edu.au/cgi-bin/ezpiii-auth.cgi?url=http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;res=APAFT;dn=970606530 (accessed 30 March 2008)

Frankie's Webliography

Guiding Question:
“Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.”

Introduction
Nowadays in our society, technology plays the most essential role in human life. It likes a necessity that we are not able to exist without them. Therefore, I think the guiding question above is a quite interesting topic for me to discuss about the relationship between the humanity and technology. In this essay, we will focus on the questions about do the powerful technologies will control or replace the humanity in the future?

Initially, I noted that there are several keywords in the guiding question which are “Frankenstein” and “technology”. Thus, I tried to type these kinds of keywords with the help of some useful online search engines such as Google, Google Scholar and Yahoo. Although the information that I found in internet are broad and complex, it is easy to discover that there are many articles which is talking about the relation between the technology and humanity. After that, I need to choose which articles are suitable for supporting my argument.

If we want to make a clear argument of the guiding questions, it is essential for us to understand the definition of technology before we are going to discuss the relation between the technology and humanity is. "The Question Concerning Technology"[1] which is written by Heli Lanz mentions that “technology is not equivalent to the essence of technology.” He attempts to redefine that "technology is therefore no mere means. It is a way of revealing the truth.” It has “acquired new and almost unlimited powers to command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.” Heli used the sentences of Frankenstein to describe the power of technology. “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation." Therefore, we can understand that the development and the power of technology are amazing but danger as it may destroy our “original” world.

Moreover, it is necessary for us to understand the implication of Frankenstein. Alisa Burns’s article “Frankenstein of the Future” [2] noted that “Over two centuries ago, Mary Shelley created a gruesome tale of the horrific ramifications that result when man over steps his bounds and manipulates nature.” The implications of Frankenstein is that a young scientist playing God and creating life. “A human being the sciences are lusting blindly to bring to life, as was the deranged quest of Victor Frankenstein, but rather to generate something potentially even more dangerous and horrifying with implications that could endanger the entire world and human population.” The article suggests that the “ability to think, learn and process complex thoughts” is more powerful than the “human mind or human intelligence”. Imagine that today technology gaining greater power, we need to concern about “what we are doing when we are trying to give this capacity of intelligence to machines, just as Victor did when he gave life to his monster.” Otherwise, the technology may control us in the recent future.

Then, what is the relationship between the technology and humanity in our world? According to the article, “Technology vs. Humanity” [3], it mentioned that our technology has become “surpassed” our humanity. It is because it has the great and deep relation between the technology and humanity nowadays. Let’s look around about our house or city; it is easy for us to discover that there are many products or electric equipment is related to technology. For examples, personal computer, mobile phone, PSP and i-pod or even the washing machine, all of them are related to technology. We seems can not live without technology. It is a serious problem occur about human can control the technology at past as it is not likes a necessity but at present, the technology seems control us mentally.

After we have understood the relation between technology and humanity nowadays, it is a moment to have some real cases of new technology in our daily life. From Sara Goudarzi’s article “Human Thoughts Control New Robot” [4] stated that scientists have created a new method to control a robot with signals from a human brain. At the middle part of the essay, it suggests that one day the “semi-autonomous robots” might be able to use such as “helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person's home.” The new technology is designed very useful and convenient for helping disabled people and it may decrease the workload of humanity as they can control a robot with signals from their brain only. However, imagine that if the role of controller and robot is exchanged, then what’s happen?

It is not surprise for you to hear about the terms “Remote-Controlled Human”. From Yuri Kagayama’s article [5] wrote that it is a new technology is created about wield remote-controlled human. It sent a “very low voltage electric current from the back of controlled human ears through his head -- either from left to right or right to left, depending on which way the joystick on a remote-control was moved.” I think it is an unbelievable thing that this kind of new technology is able to control human’s action without any restriction. Maybe in the future, when the technology is developed more advanced and completely, humanity may really control by their created products, advanced technology.

The development of new technology may damage our society even in the employment issue. According to the article of Melissa Harman “Negative Effects of New Technology” [6], it points out that there is some negative effect brings from the technology. For instance, it can be responsible for the creation of jobs as well as the termination of jobs. The author of the articles predicts that “advances in computerization and technology will only continue to effect the distribution of jobs.” For the reason is that peoples who have skills will be able to compete for more advanced higher paying jobs, but the rest will be forced into service jobs that do not have the same payment. It means that “many jobs demand skills that are higher than the skills necessary for postsecondary education.” Thus, the development of new technology may damage the construction of our society

Conclusion
All in all, as we mention that the value of technology is similar to water and air. It is much powerful that it is surrounding our life since they may bring us many advantages. It makes our life become more comfortable and convenient. In a simply way, technology is a good assistant which help peoples save more money and time as it is able to complete the complex events or process in a fast and accurate way. However, the most important things we need to concern is that we can not depend the technology so much as the development of technology is rapid, humanity may become useless that we will be eliminated , not the technology.












Reference

[1] Heli Lanz’s "The Question Concerning Technology"
http://www.public.asu.edu/~hiroshi/eng400/frankenstein/project/student/lanzessay.html (Accessed 30/3/2008)

[2] Alisa Burns’s “Frankenstein of the Future” (October 2002)
http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/frank.comment4.html
(Accessed 30/3/2008)

[3] Michael J. Hurd’s “Technology vs. Humanity” (January 2001)
http://capmag.com/article.asp?id=152
(Accessed 30/3/2008)
[4]Sara Goudarzi’s “Human Thoughts Control New Robot” (December 2006)
http://www.livescience.com/technology/061215_humanoid_robot.html
(Accessed 30/3/2008)

[5] Yuri Kagayama’s “Remote-Controlled Human” (October 2005)
http://www.livescience.com/technology/ap_051025_remote_control.html
(Accessed 30/3/2008)
[6] Melissa Harman’s “Negative Effects of New Technology” (December 2006)
http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/mharman/finalweb/negativeeffects.htm (Accessed 30/3/2008)

Question 3

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussion of recent technologies.

Nowadays the development of technology is so rapid that we cannot fully anticipate and expect. With the help of technology we can change something that is regard as impossible in the past into possible now, such as the emergence of cloning and artificial intelligence machine. With this new technology, the quantity of production can be enhanced and the quality can be improved and maintained as well. Also, living organ can be cloned in order to help more patients. However, opposing ideas towards the technology’s development can be found easily, such as the representation of the Frankenstein film and the Artificial Intelligence in Anderson’s essay. More and more people started to worry about the combination of humanity and technology will raise plenty of moral and ethical questions. In the following, the relationship between human and technology will be discussed, and also use cloning and artificial intelligence machine as examples to explain the reason why nowadays society still oppose the real human cloning. Moreover, other marginal opinion will also be discussed too.

1)“Reinventing Humanity: The Future of Machine-Human Intelligence” by Ray Kurzweil

In Ray Kurzweil’s essay by mentioning the merger of man and machine will result in our society where there is no clear distinction between the biological and the mechanical because our society is having a fast growing speed of technology that we may not be able to notice its impact to ourselves. Also there is a possibility that the Artificial Intelligence will necessarily exceed human intelligence as no matter how successfully we change our DNA, human’s biology will never be able to match the rapid growth of technology. Therefore the relationship between human and technology will definitely be change, and our future society will be change in a surprising way that we cannot imagine. This essay will give some background information and the relationship between humanity and technology.

2)“Human Cloning and Our Sense of Self” by Dan W. Brock

In Dan W. Brock’s essay he stated human reproductive cloning have potential to undermine human’s sense of self and identity in a board way. It will undermine people’s genetic uniqueness, individuality and the values or worth of human being. Also the clone’s freedom or autonomy to construct his own life will be limited. Also because human cloning is not a natural procedure, is an artificial and calculated method of having children, the reason behind is very controversial. It matches the notion of Frankenstein that our sense of self is fragmented and being constructed, and will undermine humanity as the technological aspect is more overwhelming. Therefore in our society, human cloning is still under strict control and this idea is not be accepted generally, it can only be possible for cloning some part of cells and living organ for medical use. This essay will support the disadvantage of cloning.

3)“Ethical and policy issues of human cloning” by Harold T. Shapiro

This essay discusses the ethical and moral aspects in a more sophisticated way of thinking and help to develop the impact on cloning in a deeper way. The theme of it state that human cloning is not acceptable in this stage. Firstly, the some serious scientific uncertainties still exist, such as genetic imprinting and the effects of cellular aging and mutation. Secondly, concerns reveal fears about cloning have impact on the clones, especially on the psychological aspect about the decline of individuality and self autonomy. Thirdly, public concerns about who have the right and right to clone is another important areas as it may lead to the ideas of eugenic that humanity will be objectify and people who have genetically less competitive will be marginalized and discriminated. Therefore recommendations and legislations have to be imposed, also widespread and careful public deliberation are needed to understand the scientific areas and protect our moral standards in order to develop cloning technique in a safer and more morally accepted way.

4)“Reproductive cloning and human health: an ethical, international, and nursing perspective” by Sanchez-Sweatman, Louise R.

Besides the physical problems and potential danger towards cloning, this essay emphasizes on the psychological harms on both cloner and clonee. For the cloner, he may feel inadequate and unsuccessful as the clonee is always seen as a supplement for the cloners. For the clone, his future is not control by them as he is born for purpose, therefore their right to an open future is limited. This idea is also related to the control of individual’s autonomy, personal choice and uniqueness.

5)“Why is AI so scary?” by Michael L. Anderson

Michael L. Anderson uses a new understanding to discuss about the potential danger between human and technology, especially the artificial Intelligence. No general moral and ethics are mentioned inside. He argues artificial intelligence represents a threat not as a technology, but as a social movement in which a rational and scientific world-view prevails over our existing culture and religious beliefs, as they will represent a new era of future. It is because he assumes that human will loss the control over intelligence machines and they will eventually have the ability to control human. Nowadays, under the fast development of technology, on one hand artificial intelligence machine will have the characteristics of human, on another hand, they can have better physicality of human. He creates a huge sense of fear towards intelligence machine as human’s friend will finally change into enemy in the coming future. This notion really scares people who have positive view point towards the combination of humanity and technology.

6) "Monsters of modernity: Frankenstein and modern environmentalism" by Kim Hammond

Kim Hammond’s essay uses the technological impact on food and environment as example to argue if the emergence of the idea of Frankenstein is either good or bad. He thinks that rather to define the nature of technology, we have to accept there is no clear binary opposition about technology. The new nature of technology is rather ambiguous and full of possibilities, and the potential of liberations and exploitation. The notion of Frankenstein provide us with the very questions that who controls, acts and has the power to produce what kind of socionature is more important. It is because we are the final consumer of the genetic modified food and we have to take responsibilities and accountabilities to the development of technology.

In conclusion, the original aim for the development of technology is the earlier control of human life and society. However, it is really ironically that after certain break throw in the development of technology, people started to fear to lose their control over technology and machine as the impact is getting more and more unpredictable. Therefore, what we should do to maintain our dominance position in the society is not important, but rather re-think about the ultimate goal of society and ourselves.

Anderson, Micheal L. ‘Why is AI so scray?’ Artificial Intelligence 169, http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TYF-4HDGBM0-2&_user=554529&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000028118&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=554529&md5=baa3231d928671404d6016b835ba7145 (accessed 21 Mar 2008)

Brock, Dan W. ‘Human Cloning and our Sense of Self’ Science 296, http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0036-8075%2820020412%293%3A296%3A5566%3C314%3AHCAOSO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 (accessed 23 Mar 2008)

Hammond, Kim. ‘Monsters of modernity: Frankenstein and modern environmentalismCultural Geographies 11, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct-true&db=aph&AN=13029814&site=ehost-live (accessed 22 Mar 2008)

Kurzweil, Ray. ‘Reinventing Humanity: The Future of Machine-Human Intelligence’ The Futurist 40 http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/pqdlink?did=986756301&Fmt=3&clientId=20923&RQT=309&VName=PQD (accessed 23 Mar 2008)

Sanchez Sweatman, Louise R. ‘Reproductive cloning and human health: an ethical, international, and nursing perspectiveInternational Nursing Review 47, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=5465118&site=ehost-live (accessed 20 Mar 2008)

Shapiro, Harold T. ‘Ethical and Policy Issues of Human Cloning’ Science 277, http://www.sciencemag.org.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/cgi/content/abstract/277/5323/195 (accessed 25 Mar 2008)

* In order to access the above link, please go to the UWA library to login first, thank you :) *

Webliography Question 1

1. Judy Waczman argues that Donna Haraway's figure of the cyborg has taken on 'a life of its own' in popular culture, science fiction and academic writing. in what ways has it been taken up by feminists?

Donna Haraway argued that cyborg helps in improving the human lives and to increase the status of female as gender could be ignored with the rise of cyborg. I agree with the standpoint that our quality of life is being upgraded when technology is getting more and more widespread. And I do not deny that cyborg is everywhere and became the daily necessity, part of our life already. Yet, I do not agree with her viewpoint that gender is less important in the future. I have found sources from different feminists who have similar viewpoints as mine and they are useful in supporting my arguments.

(1) Keen, Carolyn “Carolyn Keen on Haraway, "Cyborg Manifesto"”

In this article, Keen is absolutely disagreeing with what Donna Haraway’s viewpoint towards “Cyborg Manifesto”. Keen disagrees that human will have change physically and unable to viable. Since Haraway mentioned that cyborg has evades traditional humanist concepts of women, such as childbearer and raiser. Yet, this is not something we should be proud of. The production of next generation is the responsibility and uniqueness of women, if these characteristics are abandoned, where will be our next generation? The cyborg? More than that, heterosexual marriage, nuclear family, fear of death, fear of automatism, insistence upon consistency and completeness are being evaded as well. Without all these elements, how can a society keep on staying healthy? Keen has listed so many points in arguing with the viewpoints from Haraway and they are all useful for supporting feminists who have opposite viewpoint with Haraway.

(2) Shoop, Eva “The Cyborg”

Shoop stated that the birth of cyborg is due to the reliance of technology among human. Nowadays, computer is a daily necessity for human, it can be use for work, school, learning and even teaching. Therefore, Shoop mentioned that the line between human-machine, physical and non-physical has been blurred, or even lost. She questioned that does the humanity still exist nowadays. She argued that we, the human, are living in a society with food, the way that we get energy from. We are not those machines that rely on electricity. Moreover, the development of cyborg may be out of control as we seen from the movies. This is the main concern for human, Shoop believed that we should not let cyborg take over us and the situation now is getting more serious as we rely on technology so much nowadays. This article inspires me that cyborg is really a dangerous technology, though it may bring a utopian world in the future, yet it is uncertain. Donna Haraway’s concept towards cyborg is far away from realistic and the points of Shoop can help me in develop a well-referenced essay on cyborg.

(3) Scott, Krista “The Cyborg, the Scientist, the Feminist and her Critic – The Feminist eZine”

This article is a well developed and detailed article on cyborg by Krista Scott. In the article, she concerned about the boundary break down between organism and machine with the rise of cyborg. As the technology developed so rapidly, and these updated technologies really convenience and upgraded our quality of life. Such as the automatic recording machine suggested by Scott, now, we can enjoy the television programmes at anytime. In addition, the medical purposes such as pacemakers, dialysis, artificial limbs and joints, hearing aids are also founded by the technology. What’s more, the computer can recognize the spelling of words and helps us to correct it when we typed wrong. This article has aroused my memory that cyborg is getting smarter and smarter. In the past, we need to memorized the spelling of words, but nowadays, it’s unnecessary as the computer would correct it for us. I started to realized that cyborg is going to take over us someday and we should be aware or even fear of cyborg. The above examples are really good in describing this case.

(4) Kaiser, Ted “The Internet Cyborg”

In this article, Kaiser stated the three important cyborg to human, they are car, phone and television. Yes, they are cyborg to us! These three objects exists when I was born and they are so commonly used that I didn’t realize that they are kind of cyborg. In the past, people did not have these convenient equipments, it took time in traveling from one side to another or sending a letter. These cyborgs are developed to convenience human being, yet they also caused different kinds of danger to us. There are car accidents everywhere everyday and polluted air caused the serious global warning issue. Phones are harmful to our health and explicit elements can be found easily on the television while the regulation cannot control of it. From this article, I realized that cyborg is everywhere and are widely used that we have forgotten they’re dangerous on human. This article can helps in support that cyborg is not as perfect as our imagination.

(5) Breen, Jennifer “Cyber Gender”

Breen argued that gender could be swap or even invisible on the Internet in the article “Cyber Gender”. Gender is something natural born with us and we cannot deny or change it unless we take the plastic surgery. She stated that many people would like to change their appeared gender on the Internet to fit in certain kind of social group that they cannot fit in in real life. Donna Haraway had mentioned that gender could be ignored with the rise of cyborg in the future. The example from Breen’s article is totally opposite from it. As we still have to choose our gender on the Internet though it might be fake. The most important is gender still play an important role in the digital space, girls are treated nicely in the online games and people with same sex are easily bond together. Haraway’s viewpoint towards gender is far from success.

(6) Kriet, Jessica “Superhuman Moms With Average Babies: The Cyborgization of Prenatal Care”

In Kriet’s article, she stated that cyborg is everywhere, it is even used for pregnant women. Prenatal check is necessary for every pregnant woman and the famous ultrasound method is regarded as cyborg as well. It is a way for doctors and moms to communicate with the unborn babies. They can see the image of the unborn babies and check whether they are healthy or not. This is established last century and is commonly used for prenatal check nowadays. Yet, studies show that excessive exposure might lead to decrease in newborn baby weight, an increased probability of delayed speech and higher chance for left-handedness, etc. These significant cannot be ignored and show that cyborg convenience people but in another way they have certain degree of damage towards human.

With the supporting from the above, I believe that there is room for cyborg to improve to the level that is perfect. Yet, the day has not come and I am absolutely agreed with most of the feminists that cyborg may damage us some day. We should not take control by the cyborg, if technology is develop nicely, the day that Haraway dreamt of might become true.


Bibliography

Breen Jennifer. 'Cyber Gender', (2007)
http://cyborgdb.org/breen.htm (accessed 30 March 2008).

Kaiser Ted. 'The Internet Cyborg', Half Empty,(1999)
http://articles.halfempty.com/media/99-04-11.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

Keen Carolyn. 'Carolyn Keen on Haraway,"Cyborg Manifesto"'
http://www.english.upenn.edu/~jenglish/Courses/keen2.html (accessed 30 March 2008)

Kriet Jessica. 'Superhuman Moms With Average Babies: The Cyborgization of Prenatal Care' ,(2007)
http://cyborgdb.org/kriet.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

Scott Krista. 'The Cyborg, the Scientist, the Feminist and her Critic', The Feminist eZine, (1997) http://www.feministezine.com/feminist/philosophy/Cyborg-Scientist-Feminist.html (accessed 30 March 2008)

Shoop Eva. 'The Cyborg', (12 September 2002) http://www.auburn.edu/~shoopej/cyborg.htm (accessed on 30 March 2008)

Sandy's Critical Annotated Webliography

Question 3:
Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.


With the rapid development of technologies and its embedding in our life, the impact of technology is put into concern. In which, the idea of Frankenstein has usually been an important part in the discussion of technologies as it represents the negative side and human’s fear of technology, especially in the reproductive technology. And it is usually around three main issues that are human nature, identity and morality in discussions. The Google search engine, particularly the Google scholar, is used to locate online sources regarding to the question. From which, in order to examining human’s fear towards technology, I have chosen the sources covering the key ideas of Frankenstein, and the impact of technologies, such as reproductive technology and artificial intelligence, in aspects of humanity and moral issues.

1. Liu (2006) explores the representation of characters, main themes and the relationship between human and technology in the Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” and H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine” respectively. In the part about Frankenstein, with accordance to the historical background of industrial revolution, Liu examines the dominance of technology and a risk of undermining the nature and humanity in the society undergone a rapid technological and industrial development. In which, an opposition between the human and technology is exposed. Also, the dehumanization revealing in the creation of the monster is indicated in relation to human reproduction nature. Through the monster’s assembled body and the scientist’s role of creator of life, human body is commodified and manipulate as fragmented objects. Moreover, Liu also shows the idea about “Frankenstein” which is referred to people’s fear of the technology applying to humans, and she related this to the issue of cloning and genetic engineering. This source gives a brief but clear explanation on the key idea of Frankenstein and provides a good starting point and direction of how Frankenstein involved in discussions of technologies such as cloning in aspects of humanity and moral issues.

2. In the study of Campbell (2003) on biotechnology, it examines the debate about the biotechnology, particularly the resistance towards biotechnology. In which, Campbell tries to explain the “Frankenstein Myth” in biotechnology as it may be a factor for the public’s objection to such technology (p.345). After investigating the underlying theme in Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein”, he further elaborates the fear of Frankenstein, or can say as the human’s fear of the technology. He brings out two elements for such fear that includes the anxiety about the risk of engaging in the high technology applied to human-being, and the fear of reducing human nature as an object and thus threatening human’s uniqueness and identity. In fact, it is useful in demonstrating the Frankenstein myth in discussion of technologies in detail and providing a deep analysis on how Frankenstein idea emerged in the discussion of biotechnology as a threat to human with revealing the key elements in constituting the fear of Frankenstein.

3. Bloomfield and Vurdubakis (2006) discuss the possible impact involved in the reproductive technology such as cloning and genetic engineering. In which, the new reproductive technology in recent decades is suggested as the “problematic object” and issues about the moral order, identity and human dignity are investigated (Bloomfield and Vurdubakis, 2006). With referring to the case of utilizing cloning technology for reproduction purpose, the possible disruption of relationship between generations is pointed out and thus the influence on the social and moral order. Besides, the concern of destroying the self identity is brought out by considering the possibility of genetic coping. Moreover, a demeaning of humanity is also shown as the human body is likely commodified and manufactured through the genetic engineering and thus blurring the boundary between the nature and artificial. Indeed, it helps to have an understanding of people’s concerns on the consequences of reproductive technology in aspects of human nature, identity and morality. From which, idea of techno-genesis and human’s anxiety on the threats of technology towards humanity from Frankenstein is clearly revealed.

4. In Clones, Genes and Faustian Technology, a discussion of the cloning is carried out in examining both positive and negative side of it. In which, it has shown the possible threats from cloning to human. They are associated with issues of moral appropriation, demeaning to human nature, destroying the human dignity. At the same time, the benefits of the reproductive cloning are also displayed. For example, it can help the single individuals who want a child with genetic relation. This article does not only help in supporting that the Frankenstein idea involves in the discussion in area of reproductive technology, revealing in the impact on morality human nature and identity. Also, it provides another angle on reproductive technology and which may affect the Frankenstein myth in the discussion of this area.

5. Damyanov (1996) explores the influence of the science and technologies on the society with referring to the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer. It examined that as the information and computer technologies provided human the knowledge and power over nature, it may change the various aspects of human life and lead to problems such as neglecting the nature and thus human essence, and the moral issues of irresponsible technological development. And the dependecy on technology may destroy the human nature. The source allows the exploration of the potential dangers and human anxiety in the discussion of another area of technologies. In which, it does not only show the concern in aspects of moral and human nature, but also a new area that reveals the fear of technology with the possible consequence of dependency of technology.

6. Encountering the Frankenstein Complex discusses the Frankenstein Complex that is the fear towards technology in aspects of robots. On the one hand, it indicates the possible risk of the robots with artificial intelligence. For examples, the harm to humanity, the replacement of the human by machines with artificial intelligence and also that the robot may be out of control. On the other, the author argues that the risk of destroying the humanity may not happen based on three factors such as avoidance of producing the human-level robots and the economic. And he concludes with possibility of the risk of robots and artificial intelligence but a belief of the human life will be inevitably supplemented with robots or machines in future. With the negative impact suggesting inside, the article shows how the fear of technology revealing in other field of technology in robotics and artificial intelligence and thus support the assumptions of Frankenstein haunting the discussion of recent technologies. Moreover, an interesting point is brought out that whether the fear of technology will continues in the discussion of technology if the human life is inevitably full of technology in future and we almost become cyborg in some extents.

To conclude, the sources above covered the explanation of the Frankenstein idea as it is usually indicated as the fear of technology. And the ways that Frankenstein’s haunting in the discussion of recent technologies in aspects of human nature, identity and moral issues are explored, with referring to the human anxieties on the impact of technology. Also, various areas of technologies including the reproductive technology, biotechnology, and robotics and artificial intelligence are examined to see the how Frankenstein ideas occupying in the discussion of different technologies.




References
Brain P. Bloomfield, and Theo Vurdubakis. (2006). Re-engineering the Human: New Reproductive Technologies and the Spectator of Frankenstein [Electronic version]. International Journal of Social Science, 1(1), 19-24. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology http://www.waset.org/ijss/v1/v1-1-4.pdf

Campbell, C. S. (2003). Biotechnology and the Fear of Frankenstein. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 12. Retrieved from March 29, 2008, from http://journals.cambridge.org.eproxy2.lib.hku.hk/action/displayFulltext?type=1&fid=170174&jid=CQH&volumeId=12&issueId=04&aid=170172

Damyanov, Orlin. (1996). Technology and its Dangerous Effects on Nature and Human life as Perceived in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html

Lee, McCauley. (2007). Enountering the Frankenstein Complex. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www-robotics.usc.edu/~tapus/AAAISpringSymposium2007/submissions/aaai_ss_07_id06.pdf

Liu, Kai Li. (2006). The Probable Future World Forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=zh-TW&lr=&q=cache:DVn74DKsF3gJ:www.knu.edu.tw/knu1/web/teach/cge/%25E6%2595%2599%25E8%2582%25B2%25E9%2583%25A8%25E7%25AC%25AC%25E4%25BA%258C%25E6%25A2%25AF%25E6%25AC%25A1%25E8%25A8%2588%25E5%258A%2583/5/paper/03/Frankenstein%2520and%2520The%2520Time%2520Machine.pdf+Frankenstein+and+technology

Richards, Robert J. (2002). Clones, Genes and Faustian Technology. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/1/777777190263/

Webliography Question 1

Annotated Webliography
Question 1 : Judy Waczman argues that Donna Haraway's figure of the cyborg has taken on ‘a life of its own’ in popular culture, science fiction and academic writing. In what ways has it been taken up by feminists?

In order to get a brief idea at the very beginning, I start my research with the page of Donna Haraway on Wikipedia and particularly to browse the external links provided there. After several readings, I get the ideas of a numbers of key words, such as cyberfeminism, cyborg feminism and post-gender et cetera, and some key theorists, too. From the reference lists of my initial readings, I highlight some frequently cited articles or authors. Of course, what I do next is to search them on the web. Finally, I come up with a clearer picture of the issues and prepare this annotated webliography. Useful resources that I have accessed are introduced below.
Reference

1. Dixon, Steve (2003). ‘Metal Gender’.
Dixon takes a skeptical position towards Haraway’s ‘Cyborg Manifesto’ and her utopian idea of a post-gender world. He points out that Haraway ‘s ‘treatment of gender is self-contradictory and unconvincing’ with critical quotation from what Haraway has written in the Manifesto. He then suggests ‘metal gender’ but not the ‘gender-blinded’ cyborg of Haraway and he also reckons the discussion of cyborg ‘has been sucked into an increasingly meaningless vortex of capricious and romantic ideas and paradoxes.’ In contrast, his idea of metal gender, as he believes, can produce a ‘tri-gendered corporeality of man, woman and machine.’ Yet metal gender seems a modification of Haraway’s suggestions rather than a completely new idea. Anyway, this article is useful for demonstrating the disputes of Haraway’s cyborg and the ideas follow it.
2. Galloway, Alex (Undated). ‘A Report on Cyberfeminism: Sadie Plant relative to VNS Matrix’.
As stated by the author, his goal is ‘to give a report on the status of cyberfeminism today, to approach the subject of feminism and technology, in both its historical and ideological dimension.’ This report introduces two major units of Cyberfeminism, namely Sadie Plant, a feminist, and VNS Matrix, a group of artists and activists. Plant suggests that the space of technology is always feminine while VNS Matrix published a Cyberfeminist Manifesto, both stresses the relationship between women and machines. Cyberfeminism’s root is a mixture of Donna Haraway’s arguments, French third-wave feminism and poststructurism. Haraway’s idea of cybernetic organism is used by cyberfeminists in imagining the ‘new cyborg’. Moreover, cyberfeminism is in itself a creature of a post-gender world, which Haraway sees as an opportunity for feminists. In short, Galloway’s report provides another example of cyborg’s life of its own.
3. Privett, Katharyn (2007). ‘Sacred Cyborgs and 21st Century Goddess’.
This is a very detailed article that presents both the positive and negative respond to Donna Harawya’s cyborg imagery. Privett on one hand interprets the suggestions of Donna Haraway’s in her ‘Cyborg Manifesto’, on the other hand raises a wide range of counter arguments questioning Haraway’s strategies. More importantly, Privett tries to examine the cyborg politics, as suggested by Haraway, in the products of popular culture like Dan Brown’s novel, ‘The DaVinci Code’, as well as Natasha Bedingfield’s popular music, ‘Unwritten’. Privett particularly focuses on the portrayal of Goddess as a critical respond to Haraway’s famous words, “I would rather be a cyborg than a goddess.’ The information of the disputes of ‘Cyborg Manifesto’ outlined in Privett’s article and her analyses of cyborg politics in mainstream culture are valuable resources for getting to know how feminists take the work by Haraway.
4. Scott-Dixon, Krista (Undated). ‘Untitiled’.
This is a reading notes of Chela Sandoval’s article “New Sciences: Cyborg Feminism and the Methodology of the Oppressed” by Krista Scott-Dixon, a Ph.D of Women’s Studies. This article is indeed a summary of Sandoval’s article, introducing the arguments of the author. Instead of purely responding to Donna Haraway’s famous notion of cyborg feminism, Sandoval further develops Haraway’s thought and applies the cyborg metaphor for various marginalized groups in the United States. Sandoval believes cyborg theory would also be crucial for fields out of feminism. It would be a useful resource for me because Sandoval’s point, as introduced in Scott-Dixon’s reading notes, is exactly an example illustrates the fact that Haraways’s cyborg has taken a life of its own. Haraway seems not expecting her idea would be used for other marginalized groups.
5. Scott-Dixon, Krista (Undated). ‘balsamo’.
Another reading notes by Scott-Dixon provides a brief concepts of how Haraway’s cyborg influences the development of feminism as point out by Anne Balsamo in her book, ‘Technologies of the Gendered Body: Reading Cyborg Woman.’ This article discusses on the book chapter by chapter and thus it can be seen as a very short introduction of Balsamo’s idea. Chapter one of the book, ‘Reading Cyborgs, Writing Feminism’, is an examination of the relationship between cyborg and feminism, which related to my topic closely. With the notes by Scott-Dixon, it will be good for me to include this article in my reference lists.
6. Sollfrank, Cornelia (Undated). ‘A Truth about Cyberfeminism’.
This is another article about Cyberfeminism and this article aims to clarify the concept of this idea. According to Sollfrank, there is no definition of Cyberfeminism and ‘everyone has a different concept’ of it. Therefore, the title of his article is an irony because there is indeed no ‘truth’ about Cyberfeminism. Sollfrank also introduces the invention of the idea with reference to Sadie Plant and VNS Matrix but Sollfrank does not trace back to Haraway’s starting point of cyberfeminism, because she has never used the term. However, Sollfrank confirms the divergent uses of the term cyberfeminism. Haraway’s foundation is neglected while the development of cyberfeminism in a diversified way is praised. Here it is another obvious example showing how cyborg has taken on its own way of life, as distinct from Haraway’s own provocation.

As a conclusion, the 6 reference materials introduced above provide information on different aspects, including the responds to Donna Haraway and the introductions to cyberfeminism which follow Haraway’s innovating idea. By referring to various aspects of the discussion of cyborgs and feminisms, I believe it is the very foundation for me to deal with the topic and examine how feminism develops both follow and being far from the trajectory set by Haraway. In short, cyborg theory seems taking on a life of its own, echoes the cyborg imagery appears in popular culture.
By Juliana Chan

Henry's Webliography on Question 3

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies


Frankenstein was probably the most successful horrible character created by Mary Shelley in 19th century. It extends the image of fear from novel, TV drama, and movie and even to our popular culture and reality aspects. The plot of Frankenstein arise a series discussion about the balance between humanity and technology. Humans praise for benefits from technology; meanwhile, we are alerted to the unprecedented development and dependence of it. Transhumanism is a new ism generated by contemporary technical environment which suggests the use of new science to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes. However,it is still a controversial topic and be regarded as an extension and practice of Frankenstein experiment by many scholars. In this webliography, I will base on Transhumanism aspect to explore my guided question with the help of Google Scholars, Google Books and Yahoo search engine.
1. Nick Bostrom’s “Transhumanist Values” firstly gave us a clear definition of transhumanism and offered suitable background information to investigate the derivative values of transhumanism. Human enhancement is a generally term often used for explaining transhumanism, It directs the use of advance technology to enhance human condition in mental or physical and human organism opened up. Technologies involved in transhumanism are diversity. It includes genetic engineering, information technology, biotechnology, molecular nanotechnology and artificial intelligence etc. As transhumanists treating human nature as work-in-progress, they believe it is an alpha version now that we can restructure in desirable ways. Therefore, a final vision of transhumanist is to explore the posthuman realm. A realm promotes a keep going exploration on those hitherto inaccessible values. Besides a complete explanation of the core values of transhumanist, Bostrom listed some derivative values to extend transhumanism into practice. Global security is one of the examples. Due to the development of surveillance technology, it is easier to detect illegal weapons trading activities and then keep international peace. This article is a good springboard to further examine the relationship between Frankenstein fear and technology.

2. In the “The World's Most Dangerous Ideas” article by Francis Fukuyama, he identifies transhumanism as "a strange liberation movement" that wants "nothing less than to liberate the human race from its biological constraints." Science, and in particular biotechnology, has, Fukuyama believes, the potential to change the kinds of our beings, and to 'recommence history' which is propelling us from a human to a posthuman world. Fukuyama's argument runs something like this. Human values are rooted in human nature. Human nature is rooted in our biological being, especially in our genes. Messing around with human biology could alter human nature, transform our values and undermine capitalism. “What is ultimately at stake with biotechnology”, Fukuyama declares, “is... the very grounding of the human moral sense.” We therefore need international regulation to obstruct any technological advance that might disrupt either the unity or the continuity of human nature, and the human rights which are based upon it.

Besides most worried about genetic engineering, Fukuyama also concerns other technologies. He believes cloning is an unnatural form of reproduction that might create unnatural urges in a parent whose spouse has been cloned. Prozac is giving women 'more of the alpha-male feeling that comes with high serotonin levels', while Ritalin is making young boys... sit still even though the nature never designed them to behave that way. This article gave me an opposite direction to review the values of transhumanism and provided an in-depth discussion about the relationship between the Frankenstein fear and transhumnism as advanced technology gradually invading our nature and daily life.

3. In the book “The Natural and the Artefactual”, Philosopher Keekok sees such transhumanism developments as a part of an accelerating trend in modernization in which technology has been used to transform the natural into artifactual. He argues that advanced science and technology bring as much risk of disaster as opportunity for progress. The most concerned one should be genetic engineering. Keekok shows particular feasr on genetic engineering of human beings, because he concerns the blurring of the boundary between human and artifact. In the extreme, this could lead to the manufacturing and enslavement of Frankenstein monsters such as human clones, human-animal chimeras or bioroids. But, Keekok does not advocate a halt to scientific activity; he calls for tighter security and perhaps an end to traditional scientific openness. This book suggests a more practical fear of transhumanism based on real technical environment and provides a clear vision for readers to examine the possibility of Frankenstein myth becoming true.

4. The journal from BBC News “Frankenstein fears after head transplant” offers us a very debatable discussion based on a medical case. Professor Robert White, from Cleveland Ohio, claimed that he succeeded in transplanting a whole monkey's head onto another monkey's body, and the animal finally survived for some time after the operation. He believes that the operation is a good starting point, and experiment on human head transplant is valuable to further investigate. He is confident that the operation will play an important role in transplant world. Although technology pushing medicine into another high level, dozens of patients still suffer from different immedicable injuries. The head transplant operation raised the possibility that it could be used to treat people paralysed and unable to use their limbs, and whose bodies due to their brains’ injury. “People are dying today who, if they had body transplants, in the spinal injury community would remain alive.” Doctor White said. However, an opposite voice was raised by Dr Stephen Rose, director of brain and behavioural research at the Open University. He regarded this transplant technology as grotesque, completely mad and out of all proportion to what's needed. “It's scientifically misleading, technically irrelevant and scientifically irrelevant, and apart from anything else a grotesque breach of any ethical consideration.” He added. Although head transplant is at initial step, it brings human a struggle between human nature and technology. Should human remove the Frankenstein fear for accepting a longer life-span and more healthful body?

5. Writing in Reason magazine, Ronald Bailey accuses those technophobia researches in article “Right-Wing Biological Dread”. He regards scholars speculating about the creation of subhuman creatures with human-like intelligence or Frankenstein monster as alarmism. Bailey insists that the aim of conducting research on animals involving the modification of animal or human is simply to produce human health care benefits. He offers sport as an example where transhumanism can be applied and where posthumanity already exists. Athletes and their ability continuously transcend known boundaries of human capability technology enhancement is one of the main factors make sport tends toward. In this respect, sport offers a unique environment where transhumanism is no more than a normalized ism.

6. Cyberculture scholar Chris Hables Gray looks at the ever-changing human body in “Cyborg Citizen: Politics in the Posthuman Age” and makes some well-educated guesses on the makeup of the future cybernetic body politic. Though he does go out of his way to remind the reader that nearly all of us are bioenhanced (that is a vaccination scar, isn't it?), he's neither a fear generator nor technophobia. His thesis is refreshingly simple in a world overfilled with postmodern complexity: we're changing our bodies more and more radically, and we have to think about how this will change our way of life. Examining health care, social interactions, and politics, Gray's focus is largely on particular modifications and enhancements such as prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, performance-enhancing drugs, and their descendants. The book never dips into terror. Even if Gray uses colorful examples to illustrate his points, he still maintains a humanistic attitude throughout. His simple thesis, “coupled with this attitude, create a web of thought that is simultaneously entertaining and enlightening”. Cyborg Citizen is a good prescription for readers to take a moderate comment and balance the opinions between different aspects.

According to those online resources, the values of transhumanism are usually examined with the fear of Frankenstein and human nature. Enjoying the benefits from technology enhancement or being responsible to avoid dehumanization, it is a difficult task to decide between two. Maybe we can inspect the direction with Chris Hables Gray: remaining our humanistic attitude and looking forward to a positive, progressive vision of a sexy, high-tech future.
References

1. Nick Bostrom. Transhumanist Values.
http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.pdf (accessed 27 March 2008).

2. Francis Fukuyama. The World's Most Dangerous Ideas (2004). http://www.mywire.com/pubs/ForeignPolicy/2004/09/01/564801?page=4 (accessed 28 March 2008).

3. Keekok Lee. The Natural and the Artefactua: The Implications of Deep Science and Deep Technology for Environmental Philosophy (1999).

Webliography: Question 3

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.


Technology is always an enchantment for people to improve the standard of living from time to time. Many scientists can create differences kind of invention through the use of technology. It seems that the relationship between human and technology is become hard to separate from each other. Also, technology can provide the similar things with the real life that is the hypereality and simulation for human. For example, robot is one of the kinds about simulation, which is acting like a human and intelligence created by the technology. But, there are many people realize that technology is having lots of power to influence the society. They are fear to the used of technology which will bring the bad effect happening eventually. Thus, they are worry can not have the power to control the technology anymore. It is like the science fiction of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which is representing the out of control in technology to human. Therefore, people are afraid of the artificial life will exist in the real world that similar to Frankenstein.

However, the relationship between human and technology is still appearing the struggle and fear for people. As the idea of [1] Catherine Waldby point out it is difficult to distinguish human and technology in the present. In the following, I will used the Google and Yahoo search engine exclusively to conduct numerous searches on the issue that about the overpowering between technology and human in the society. Also, the essay will include the reason of human that fear about technology in different aspects


1.The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction
[2] The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction which is written by Ruth A. Curl that using difference theory of the Aristotle to explain the science is having the power to create the life and death. Besides, the author used the science fiction of Neuromancer to argue the power of computer with human. “In Neuromancer the computer pervades the text and is so over-powering that everything else all but disappears and the reader is almost overwhelmed.” The author pointed out that people can feel the power of computer not only in visual even through textual. The article also mention about the Frankenstein monster as a computer which is superior to man and it would be allowed to develop autonomy by itself. And it suggest people to think of the used of computer which can create a huge impact about the humanity. Obviously, this can help the essay to state a strong point that people treat computer as a tool, but the use of computer may really create the monster which depend on human decision.


2. Fear of losing control
The relationship between human and technology is hard the separate from time to time. People think that technology not only bringing the disadvantage instead of advantage for them. [3] Daniel Chandler has mention the way of dominant about technology to human in his article of Fear of losing control. Actually, it is easy to see the phenomena of human using machine in the daily life. But, this phenomenon is become subvert, which is about people being used as a tool by machines in different situations. “The whole trend in technology has been to devise machines that are less and less under direct control and more and more seem to have the beginning of a will of their own.” Daniel Chandler also point out the technology is having more autonomy which is similar to human. Therefore, human is beginning to fear of the losing control in the technology. It is because human is used to the obesity from the machine rather than betrays as usual. And they did not realize technology has this double aspect of good/harm when they are using it. This article mentions people should have the balance in life when they are using the technology.


3. Technology Fear Factor
An article of [4] Technology Fear Factor by Daintry Duffy and Sari Kalin which is talk about the reason that people think of technologies as dangerous. In nowadays, the technology is become powerful cause different kind of variation change in technologies. It is like the biotechnology and nanotechnology are exponentially more powerful than any technology of the past. Also, these kinds of technologies are really help people to solve the problem in life. But, those authors point out that people can not too protect themselves by destroy the technologies, which avoid the overpowering. Usually, technology can not move forward when people are too over react to the new technologies. The main point that those authors had been discussed is the things that make people feel technologies as fear, such as lack of privacy. The privacy can also show the fear of people to technology due to lack of power to control the harmful to them.


4. The New Politics of Technology
Eric Cohen’s [5] The New Politics of Technology is providing the problem that technologies bring to human in daily life. This journal can reinforce the reason that technology is so powerful even overpower to human. It is because the use of technology can bring lots of bad influence to people. And, it also mentions human nature, and modern democracy that influence by technology. Actually, the author mention that people are concerning of the fear of destruction and dehumanization when using those technology, such as biomedical science and biotechnology. This can also related to the reason that a technology is so powerful cause of the use by human at the same time.


5. Technology: An Evil Empire?
It is clearly to see that the fear about technology of human is showing from different aspects. Mostly, there are many people think that technology as an evil to harm into their life. As the article of [6] Technology: An Evil Empire? written by Joshua Dautoff and Alicia Roca reflected that the negative image of technology is already put into everyone’s mind. “Technologies are not utopian. Technologies can be “evil” and cause problems in society.” Actually, the ways of people treat technology is the only reason that creates this phenomenon appear in the society. Mostly, it is only people create the situation of uncontrolled of technology rather than itself. Moreover, there are some parts can enhance the point of view about the dominant of technology toward human which showing in our daily life.


6. Remote control device 'controls' humans
[7] Remote control device 'controls' humans is a news article written by Yuri Kageyama that show the technology product which can created to control human’s behaviors. Actually, the news article is showing that a remote control can turn to remote the action of human. People are trying to experience of being control by the technology in this new kind of technology. And, there are many side effects for people after they tried this technology. But, it is an example can help to think of human is controlling by technology is easy to see or even willing by them.

In conclusion, I will use the idea of relationship between human and technology are more difficult to separate in nowadays in the essay. So, the story of Frankenstein is like the new kind of technology, which brings the fear to human in our society. And, most of the point of view will focus to talk about the dominance of technology for human is truly existing during write the essay. Also, those of the article and example can bring people to have more understand the reason of fear about technology in life.


Bibliography

[1] Catherine Waldby. ‘The Instruments Of Life: Frankenstein And Cyberculture’, in Prefiguring Cyberculture, eds. Darren Tofts, Annemarie Jonson & Alessio Cavallaro (Cambridge & London: MIT Press, 2002), pp. 28-37.

[2] Curl, Ruth A. ‘The Metaphors of Cyberpunk: Ontology, Epistemology, and Science Fiction’, Poetry of Whispered Dreams (July 2004).
http://www.poems2u.com/writings/cyberpunk.html (accessed 29 March 2008).

[3] Daniel Chandler. ‘Fear of losing control’, Imagining Futures, Dramatizing Fears:The Portrayal of Technology in Literature and Film (January 1998)http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/SF/sf.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[4] Daintry Duffy and Sari Kalin. ‘Technology Fear Factor’, KurzweilAI.net (July 2002)http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0510.html (accessed 28 March 2008)

[5] Eric Cohen. ‘The New Politics of Technology’, The New Atlantis A journal of Technology & Society (spring 2003)
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/1/editorial.htm (accessed 28 March 2008)

[6] Joshua Dautoff and Alicia Roca. ‘Technology: An Evil Empire?’, Bay Area Tech Report http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/technology/ (accessed 29 March 2008)

[7] Yuri Kageyama. ‘Remote control device 'controls' humans’, USA Today (October 2005)http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/2005-10-25-remote-human-control_x.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)