Week 9: Tech Journal | Cyberpunk In Other Bodies
I support the view of a posthuman conception of the body: crossovers such as the cyborg, animal-human species mixes, racial mixes, etc. Just because someone has these enhancements or changes to the body it doesn’t make them any less human. This idea that an unsullied or untouched body by technology is an outdated way of thinking and will only hurt people. In “Burning Chrome” Jack has a cybernetic arm and throughout the story, he struggles with the idea that he is less human because of that arm. But he is still human; he still acts like a human, thinks like a human, and has the same needs as a human. Combining ourselves with technology may seem unnatural or abnormal, but not only will we be able to better ourselves, but those who are disabled could gain something they didn’t have before. As long as someone has the choice to change their body or not, I don’t see the problem with this posthuman conception. Someone shouldn’t worry what other people are doing with their body unless it harms them or will harm other people. Our society is constantly changing and so too should our conception of the human body. Tattoos used to be highly looked down upon and now it is very common for a person to have a tattoo. Plus, it would be pretty boring if everyone was the same, this posthuman conception helps spice it up a bit.