Cyborgs #197 (P)

Who is afraid of our transhuman future?

Cyborgs are not new. For many decades, people have experimented with implants that provide new experiences and capabilities to the human body. But what exactly does it mean to be a cyborg?

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Dear supporters of Daily Philosophy,

today we continue our exploration of the future of mankind with a look at cyborgs — beings that incorporate both biological and technological parts. In the previous article in this series, “Future Cities for Transhumans,” we asked how future cities might be perceived by transhuman beings.

Future Cities for Transhumans #194 (P)

But we don’t need to wait for the far future. Cyborg artists and activists have already been living among us for years.

What is a cyborg?

A cyborg (“cybernetic organism”) is commonly understood to be an organism that is composed not only of biological parts but also of technological, artificial components that enhance the function of the organism in some way.

Like all definitions, this can be understood in a wider or narrower sense and it can be easily stretched beyond its breaking point.

A man with a bullet or a knife stuck in them would clearly not be a cyborg because the artificial implement does not enhance their function in any way — quite the opposite. But what about a person with a tooth filling? Without the filling, the person would be in pain and, eventually, lose a tooth, which would diminish their functioning in the long run. With the filling, they keep the functionality of their dental apparatus intact. Indeed, one could imagine receiving a tooth implant that is even better than a natural tooth. Say, one that is not affected by bacteria and does not ever decay.