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 environmentalism’ Cultural 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 perspective’ International 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)
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3 comments:
In Amie’s webilography can present the point of view in a very smooth way. It can be cover the topic from using different kind of aspects in those websites. The metaphor of technologies as the story of Frankenstein in nowadays, which can show that our bodies are having important connection to the technologies. And, it is kind of useful that using few website about the cloning technologies that relate to human. So, it can enhance the evidence that people are largely influence by technologies even concern of their body. I think that it is kind of effective from showing all the technologies are inevitable relate to ours life. However, it seems that the standpoint from this webilography can be more obvious to see in here.
I agree the point Amie mentioned that the help of technology is helping us to change something impossible possible. The quality and quantity can also be improved with new invention technologies. The articles inside are mainly about the cloning and artificial intelligence problems, with most writers in negative point of view. I think the articles above are successful to help us to rethink about our aim of using or developing technologies and remind us what problems technologies will bring us if we misuse it. I think the whole webliography will be more fluent if the last article is also about cloning or artificial intelligence.
Amie can present an explicit and coherent concepts and ideas how the technology resolve the problem that is impossible to be settled down in the past. It seems that the things are being changed to be possible that we could just fulfill in our imagination in the past. The artificial technologies brings us a greater progress in science investigation but also harm to the humanity at the same time.
One of her selected materials, “Ethical and policy issues of human cloning” by Harold T. Shapiro which is able to criticize for the ethical issues that the cloning development might impact on the humanity aspect and the self autonomy. Therefore, the established legitimation can effectively limit the cloning technologies to develop inappropriately.
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