“Postmodern Collective and Personal Self”:Examining How the Cyborg Disassembles and Reassembles Our Emotional Self(ves)

Abstract

This essay adopts a postmodernist and posthumanist perspective to explore contemporary society through the lens of Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto. We examine how the concept of the self has evolved, challenging the traditional Eurocentric notion of identity and creating a new order of meaning, which Haraway terms "cyborg semiology." Haraway's cyborg, a fusion of human and machine, embodies a departure from ideas of purity and superiority, emerging as a contaminated entity devoid of authentic life experiences. In the first part of the essay, we analyze the blurred distinctions between machines, animals, and humans. By applying Bruno Latour’s theory of agency in the Anthropocene, we explore real-life incidents where agency extends beyond humans to non-living entities, leading to the ironic and blasphemous conditions Haraway describes. According to Haraway, these conditions are necessary for understanding the cyborg reality. We then discuss how these ironies and contaminations create artificial environments, which Haraway likens to amusement parks, illustrating how we navigate these spaces in the postmodern era. Finally, we examine Haraway's concept of the "organics of domination" and the evolving dynamics between producers and consumers. Through this analysis, the essay demonstrates how Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto is reflected in everyday experiences, affirming the relevance of her theories in understanding our cyborg existence.