Posthumanism, posthuman, technological advance and human beings, are we already cyborgs, how is it to be a human in this age
What does it mean to be human in a world that works at a scale and speed beyond human comprehension?
Scientific and technological advancements develop at speeds to which we cannot attend. Information develops at an exponential rate. Medicine targets our brain chemistry and our longevity and from intelligent mechanical prosthetics to xenotransplants affect who we are.
In such a world do we change what it means to be human? In other words, are we already posthuman? How do we fit or not in such a world?
Essay Requirements
Respond to the above prompt, following these criteria:
The essay includes a specific thesis statement and there is a clear attempt to advance an original, coherent argument throughout.
The essay draws on and includes quotations from a minimum of four texts/works from the course as evidence in support of the argument. A well-crafted essay will incorporate specifics from the texts to support the argument and avoid over-generalizing and summary.
The Chicago Manual of Style format for intext citations and Works Cited page
FORMAT: This paper should be 2000 words (about 7 pages). Please adhere to this limit. This word count is based on the following document parameters: Times New Roman, 12pt., double space, margins top 1”, bottom 1”, sides 1.25.”
LIST OF READINGS: You can use and make any combinations from the reading materials that were provided in class for your paper. Use minimum 4 sources:
Books:
J.M. Coetzee Disgrace,
Don Delillo White Noise,
H.P. Lovecraft At the Mountains of Madness
Other Articles and Readings: (see the full names and pdfs in modules)
Neil Badmington, Introduction Approaching Posthumanism,
Maurice-Merleau-Ponty The Intertwining – The Chiasm,
Andrés Vaccari & Belinda Barnet, Prolegomena to a Future Robot History: Stiegler, Epiphylogenesis and Technical Evolution,
Bennett -Vibrant Matter,
E.P.Thompson Clock,
Cary Wolfe Exposures,
Cora Diamond The Difficulty of Reality and the Difficulty of Philosophy,
David L. Clark Kant’s Aliens,
Butler Precarious Life Ch 2.
The purpose of the paper, is to demonstrate comprehension of the readings by providing exposition of an entire argument. The only way to communicate your comprehension is to stay focused on the text(s) assigned in the prompts. This means avoiding generalizations, off-topic or tangential discussions and the use of sources not connected to the course.
