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/