Jonathan Noel

Andrew Schopp
English paper three
11/22/2022

The popular concept of cyborgs is something that people developed ideas about by

watching films like Terminator or Robocop. And due to that, the concept itself was considered

science fictional, with no tangible form in the real world. It was not something that people

viewed as anything but imaginary. However, with the progression of technology and our human

society, we have become more reminiscent of the ideas portrayed in certain portions of those

films. The creation and use of various pieces of technology that are meant to be part of the

human body, and the integration of such technological concepts into our physical selves has

redefined how we understand what we saw as fictional. However, it cannot be denied that rather

than getting closer to being within that realm of science fiction, we are already within it. With

biomechanical tools created for the purpose of improving a flaw in human physique, or certain

bits of technology containing all our information, we have essentially progressed to a point

where we live dependent on everything technological.

The very definition of cyborg is, “a combination of human and machine” (Schopp 3). The

idea itself is as simple as it sounds. But as we’ve seen in movies such as The Matrix or Tron, it is

not solely being combined with a piece of physical technology, but closer to being integrated into

something technological. Whether it be a computer or a game. That pushes us as a species to

delve deeper into the realm of fictional cyborgs. However, that would mean that anything that we

do or would have done, if it involved technology, would make us cyborgs. That seems a little
bleak, doesn’t it? It is. But no matter how bleak it may sound, the fact is, we already live in a

world of cyber enhancements. When someone talks about a cyborg the first thing that comes to

mind is a human with a physical enhancement that pushes past the boundaries of the human

body. However, that is not all there is to the concept. The cyborg itself is something that can be

seen anywhere that involves anyone with a physical drawback. As such, the technology is not

used to create weapons or tools that can be used in deadly ways, like we see in movies or in a

game like Cyberpunk 2077, but is instead used to provide aid to those who cannot partake in

certain functions. According to Human+ magazine: “Researchers at University College London

have used stem cells to grow body parts and surgically repair or replace damaged tissue,

including tear ducts, windpipes, and blood vessels”(Reilly, 5). To make such a feat possible, our

bodies would need to be bonded to a foreign piece of technology, which pushes the idea of the

cyber-human even further. With prosthetic limbs that aid those who could not walk previously,

or hearing aids to provide with greater hearing capabilities, the very concept of cyborgs is not

speculation or an idea, but a reality. We live in a world where the bondage of human and

machine is past the realm of fiction, but reality.

But as miraculous as it sounds to have a piece of technology combined with our bodies to

help us do what we could not previously do, there is always a dark spot in anything that seems to

be for our betterment. When one thinks of problems involving cyborgs, the first thing that comes

to mind is robot apocalypse. But there is so much more to it than that. As was stated previously, a

cyborg, by definition, is the fusion of a human with any form of technology. One such fusion

would be the technological tools that we use so frequently, like our phones, televisions, game

consoles, and even our computers. To utilize any of these tools, a human element is required.

And that human element is what makes a cyborg a cyborg. Ok, then what’s the problem? The
problem is that we let ourselves get sucked into all the wonders that come with these, to the point

where we cannot see ourselves living without them. When someone needs information, they go

on their phone or a computer, but not a library. Because they have a library in the palm of their

hand. When we want to watch something, we use our televisions, computers, and our phones.

With all these technological tools at our fingertips, we tend to disconnect from the world around

us. In some cases, we actually disconnect from the world. A good example of this is vr goggles.

With them, everything we do is virtual, to the point where it becomes a part of the user. But how

does that make us cyborgs? We become cyborgs the moment we become slaves to these

technology. But by that logic, that would make us tech addicts, not cyborgs. If we were to argue

for the actual human/machine combination, there are a number of ethical issues that come with

the concept. According to authors Liza Ireni-Saban and Maya Sherman : “The predetermined

boundaries between humans and machines may turn obsolete with the consolidation of the new

hybrid humanity. This may foster an innovative approach to the traditional understanding of

human ethics and the establishment of cyborg norms and regulations”. What they are essentially

saying is that, with the creation of cyborgs, the predetermined laws put in place to regulate

human behavior would not have the same applications to cyborgs, as they are not fully human,

and due to that, if they were to partake in something like a crime, there would need to be new

laws in place to essentially keep them under control. And at that point, the line between human

and machine would become blurred. Virtually nonexistent.

But despite the various issues that would come with the creation of cyborgs, with the

progression of time, it cannot be denied that new technology will expand the existence of

cyborgs far beyond the scope of making new limbs, but to the point where we as a species, may

become more machine than man, as if we were live in a sci-fi world.

Pio-Lopez, Léo. “The Rise of the Biocyborg: Synthetic Biology, Artificial Chimerism

and Human Enhancement.” New Genetics & Society, vol. 40, no. 4, Dec. 2021, pp.

599–619. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/14636778.2021.2007064.

Schopp, Andrew. “Chapter 6: Cyborgs, AI, and Posthumanism.” English 101 reader:

Exploring our Postmodern Culture. SUNY Nassau Community College, 2021.

Reilly, Michael. “HUMAN+.” MIT Technology Review, vol. 124, no. 2, Mar. 2021, pp.

72–77. EBSCOhost,

https://search-ebscohost-com.ncc.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&A

N=148605685&site=ehost-live

Ireni-Saban, Liza, and Maya Sherman. “Cyborg Ethics and Regulation: Ethical Issues of

Human Enhancement.” Science & Public Policy (SPP), vol. 49, no. 1, Feb. 2022,

pp. 42–53. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ncc.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/scipol/scab058.