Pros and Cons of Becoming a Cyborg: Trading Flesh for Metal
Since the beginning of time, man has attempted to avoid the inevitable. In his endless pursuit of perfection, man has tried to dodge the grim reaper. Death is certain; life is not. Yet through technological interventions, man is attempting to be godlike and live eternally. Through these same interventions, man is becoming transformed into a cyborg. Currently, the technology has not arrived so that a man will be able to have more metal in his body than he would have flesh. But if one could be a cyborg , if one could live longer, jump higher, store more info, and become more efficient would they? Would one become a cyborg if it meant no more pain, no more suffering, but in exchange would require thousands of dollars worth of hardware and hundreds of hours’ worth of surgery. Today I will explore some of the pros and cons of becoming a cyborg. I will also explore how people today like Stelarc have already taken steps and modified their own bodies to become cyborgs. I will also define some of the ethical and morals issues supporting and criticizing the transformation from flesh to metal, with the end result becoming a cyborg.
First of all, one must define what a cyborg is, and also clearly define what a cyborg consist of. A cyborg is a combination of man and technology. Robocop, The Terminator, Spock are all clear examples of what a cyborg is. A cyborg is a combination of human life and artificial intelligence. What about the elderly, would they be considered cyborgs? Yes, with pacemakers surgically installed within their bodies, the elderly, according to the definition, are considered to be cyborgs. So then, what the hell is a cyborg? One may believe the best place to locate a definition is the Webster’s New World Dictionary; it defines cyborgs as “a hypothetical human being modified for life in a hostile or alien environment by the substitution of artificial organs and other body parts. Using the basic definition will not be enough, it is too broad. One cannot really determine what a cyborg is and what a cyborg is not. For instance, suppose if people followed this definition that would mean that anyone wearing a watch, contacts, glasses, or using headphones would be considered a cyborg.
Smarr, Janet. “Emperor Wu”. Making of the Modern World 12. Ledden Auditorium, La Jolla, CA. 17 Feb. 2012. Lecture.
In any classic novel such as To Kill A Mockingbird, the myriad differences in thinking between readers allow for many different interpretations. The author of such a work, however, must constantly make decisions concerning the best ways to fulfill his or her purpose in writing; Harper Lee decided that the symbol of the mockingbird was not displayed prominently enough, and so made it the crux of her novel rather than one of its neglectable elements. With its seemingly unsuited title, Lee's book keeps readers waiting for the moment when a mockingbird pops up--and shows what the author truly wanted her audiences to find.
Since the beginning of time man has been infatuated with the idea of pushing the human body to its limits. The Guinness Book of World Records, the Olympics, the Space program, and more are all dedicated to celebrating Humans that push these boundaries. In the age of technology and scientific advancement ideas that once seemed like science fiction are now a reality. In order to push these constraints to human evolution, ethics and morals have been pushed aside. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, plays God by bringing his creature to life. When Frankenstein realizes the full extent to what he’s done, he abandons the monster. The monster then seeking revenge, killing all who Victor cares for. In Ishiguro’s Never Let
Advancement of the human race through technology is the goal of evolution and is the reason human beings are on earth. The ability to allow future generations to reach their full potential through technology should be the goal of all human beings. The two main criticisms to this argument are, first it is considered unnatural, and secondly it is considered to be “playing god”. Transhumanists dismiss the claim of unnatural because most of what human beings do with any technology is unnatural, yet these uses are accepted as benefits, not harms (Post, 2004). As for the second concern most transhumanists consider themselves agnostics or atheists so playing god is not a legitimate concern for them. The issue is one of great concern to people...
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
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Religion is an interesting aspect in the Chinese context because of the part it played in history. Christianity did not spread as successfully in the East as it did in Europe and the isolated thoughts of the Chinese at the time. The fundamentals of Confucianism include and encourage humanities pursuit of knowledge and understanding of their self and...
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Some would say the attempt to make a robot is an attempt to 'play god' and to recreate man. Others would argue that robots might become so intelligent that they would take over and replace humans. There is no better example of this than the movie Terminator, which begins with a world ruled by machines who are trying to kill the remaining human population. The actual field of robotics however, has produced many products which we take for granted. The clock is a household item that was developed in the beginning stages of machine ...
Ferris, Gary. Evil’s Fate. Famous Poets and Poems.com. N.p, 24 October 1990. Web. 9 August
Haraway, Donna J. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century". Simians, Cyborgs, and Women. The Reinvention of Nature. London: Free Association Books, 1991.
Would clones or cyborgs be considered nonhuman? Fukuyama believes that a computer should not be considered human because they lack basic sensory input and feeling of a human. Fukuyama goes on to say “ It is perfectly possible to design a robot with heat sensors in it’s fingers, the robot could keep itself from being burned, but it would actually be devoid of the most important quality of a human being, feelings” (199). This quote reflects that reg...
Scientific studies have shown that there are physical and mental effects on the human body after using technology. Ac...
Our minds have created many remarkable things, however the best invention we ever created is the computer. The computer has helped us in many ways by saving time, giving accurate and precise results, also in many other things. but that does not mean that we should rely on the computer to do everything we can work with the computer to help us improve and at the same time improve the computer too. A lot of people believe that robots will behave like humans someday and will be walking on the earth just like us. There should be a limit for everything so that our world would remain peaceful and stable. At the end, we control the computers and they should not control us.
In today's society, robots come in different types and qualities, and robots’ use was mainly in the laboratories and factories; however, that has drastically changed where their uses are changing at a high speed. In addition to that, they have spread throughout the world. The main function of robots is to replace the work that people used to do, or perform tasks that man cannot. A robot is a mechanical or virtual device that uses a computer program, or electronic circuitry, to carry out its functions. In modern science, robotics refers to the study of robots is robotics, which deals with designing, constructing, operating, and using robots and computer systems for controlling and processing information and providing feedbacks. However, as much as robots replace human labor, individuals or organizations can use them in dangerous environments that might be harmful and beneficial to humans. Therefore, to understand the logic behind the creation of robots, one should learn the pros and cons of robotics, in the current society. This is because people are using this technology without having a deep understanding of its effects. However, an objective evaluation of the use of robots, in the modern society, shows that they have a positive influence on human beings, but if the robots were overused, it could lead to a negative side. which shows why human beings should use robots wisely that will result an improvement to their societies and own lives. Robots have become interactive equipment whereby they have become part of human life. In this regard, people use them directly or indirectly to enhance the quality of their lives. However, Sharkey argues that there are ethical issues that arise because of using robots to enhance hu...