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Posthuman Dilemma - A critical Analysis of the Post-Human Enhancement and the Post-Body -

  • Journal of Humanities
  • 2016, (63), pp.165-194
  • Publisher : Institute for Humanities
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : September 28, 2016
  • Accepted : October 31, 2016

Kim, Eung-Jun 1

1대전대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study critically analyzes the modern discussion about body and the posthuman. The discussion about posthuman suggests, on the one hand, the possibility to overcome the natural limit of the human with body and mind. On the other hand, it suggests the appearance of a new type of human. From this point of view, posthuman pursues a disembodied human; a man with body composed of new meanings but not traditional meanings. In this new thinking, science and technology (especially human enhancement and the following appearance of pot-body) are very important. In this study the present writer takes the novel L’Ultime Secret (B. Werber, 2001) and Kopflos (Ch. Kerner, 2008) as examples. The former suggests the formation of the Post-Body through brain-enhancement that strengthens the function of the brain by connecting the brain to electronic network, while the latter describes the meaning of brain-transplant that restructures a new man by connecting a head from a man who has only living brain to a body from a man with only living body. These are two types of transformable post-bodies. This study considers and critically surveys the meaning of human enhancement and the following post-body.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.