Embracing the Cyborg and Empowering Identity in a Posthuman World

Note: I wrote this essay for WGSS 350 Posthuman Feminism at Allegheny College in spring 2025. Lightly formatted for the web, otherwise as submitted.

When people hear the word "cyborg," they might first think of characters like Robocop, the Winter Soldier, or the Terminator, figures that highlight the fusion of human and machine in a militaristic and controlled way. These characters only scratch the surface of what the role of the cyborg can be in society. In 1985, Donna Haraway published A Cyborg Manifesto describing how the cyborg can be a figure of emancipation, offering freedom from the historical hierarchies (Haraway 1985, 50-51). However, earlier depictions of the cyborg such as in the 1927 film Metropolis, portray the cyborg as a figure symbolizing the destructive potential of technological control over humanity (Lang 1927). Fast forward to 2025, the identity of the cyborg has still yet to be firmly established. The figure of the cyborg has the ability to advance society for its potential to empower and liberate which stands in direct contrast with nefarious technology that aims to exploit and dehumanize.

Defining the Cyborg

In order to understand the potential of the cyborg, it is necessary to first define what constitutes a cyborg. Many interpretations begin with human bodies augmented by technology. However, this definition is limited and problematic in its scope as it requires a definition of what qualifies as augmentation and what is human. That idea can then be expanded to bodies interfacing with technology (Haraway 1985, 51). However, with the metaverse and digital realities, it is possible to live in a digital reality, so limiting the definition to only consider physical bodies excludes the future possibilities of the cyborg (Hayles 1999, 1-2). A definition that is inclusive of both the physical and digital planes, and the connections between entities, better represents what the cyborg is and can be (Haraway 1985, 52; Åsberg and Radomska 2019). The cyborg is also beneficial to those it connects with through a form of empowerment and agency in its hybrid nature (Haraway 1985, 55). The cyborg can be defined by a relationship of interconnectedness between technology and entities, ranging from commensal to symbiotic (Haraway 1985, 56).

Everyday Interconnectedness

The connection between people and technology can be something as complex as a microchip in the brain to something as simple as a mobile phone. Cloud storage holds countless files for its users holding their notes and expanding their memories. Cloud computing, existing in a totally separate location, allows for the instantaneous movement of data across space, which in a way gives people the ability to teleport their consciousness and thoughts demonstrating that machines have the capacity to surpass the typical limitations of the physical form. Smart phones allow for a similar process with communication that spans across borders, something once inconceivable. With the invention of the internet the connections between devices has grown immensely and with these connections people are also connected in this web we call the “internet of things”.With the cyborg, interconnectedness flourishes between people and technology. In this way, the cyborg enhances society to be more connected with one another and encounter new perspectives without having to worry about the limitations of space and time.

Glitch Feminism and Afrofuturism

Legacy Russell, author of Glitch Feminism, considers cyberspace as a space for liberation from hierarchies and the confines of gender (Russell 2020). Within cyberspace individuals have the choice on how to represent themselves and are given more power to be seen. Although representations of people are typically controlled, the “glitch” enables those who were torn down by the system to reclaim it and use it as a means to gain connections and a following (Russell 2020). The “glitch” is empowering and shows that despite the bias of the people who made the technology there is always a possibility to remake it. Social media is an example of how people make connections with communities with similar identities even if they live across the world because cyberspace bridges the gap of physical space (Russell 2020).

In the Afrofuturism movement writers, musicians, and artists are thinking about how the genre of science fiction relates back to the black diaspora and how technology can advance African society. In Nnedi Okorafor’s science fiction short story,"Mother of Invention," the cyborg figure can be seen as a caretaker for a single woman preparing to give birth (Okorafor 2018). This caretaker AI, Obi 3, helps the protagonist navigate an uncertain future shaped by technology and human biases. These perspectives emphasize that the cyborg is not limited to its current form, but possesses the potential to make a positive impact on society. Both Legacy Russell and Nnedi Okorafor are considering how the cyborg can advance society in terms of race relationships. The cyborg empowers the disenfranchised and can give a voice to people typically excluded from mainstream narratives. The internet provides a space to connect with other people and exist in a space that transcends the physical plane of existence.

When Technology Exploits

However, these connections between people and technology are not without concern. Some focus on the security risks associated with being entangled with technology that gathers data constantly which could be accessed by nefarious forces. According to Trevor Paglan, these technologies when controlled by a corporate system act as a gateway for extracting wealth from its users (Paglen 2016). In the modern age, data is power and the more information that can be gathered on an individual, the more that can be sold, either in advertising or to other companies. Sondra Perry’s work Resident-Evil (2016) comments on the issues surrounding corporate forces controlling technology. The art features workstations meant to work the body while you work. The work also thinks about the dehumanization of people via technology through platforms like social media. Perry is thinking about the connection between humans and machines as something that can be abused by people seeking to dehumanize (Perry 2016). However, the relationship between these technologies and people is parasitic meaning these examples do not actually fit into the definition of the cyborg. These are examples of risky relationships with technology and not beneficial ones making them contradictory to the purpose of the cyborg.

A Figure of Empowerment

The cyborg is an extension of the being allowing for new possibilities of existence beyond biological determinism (Haraway 1985, 52). Although the military is intertwined with the original visions of the cyborg it is not the full picture and does not align with Haraway’s view of the cyborg. While the military and capitalist use of the cyborg concept diverges from Haraway’s feminist posthuman vision, it highlights the contradictory nature of technology when used for dominance and control (Haraway 1985, 53). Nefarious uses of technology contradict the essence of the cyborg, which is fundamentally intended to be beneficial by being a force for empowerment and liberation. Although not all technology in contemporary society aligns with a feminist posthuman vision, Haraway suggests the hope still remains for what technology could be for society (Haraway 1985, 56-57). The cyborg stands as a figure of empowerment in a society ruled by patriarchal and capitalist forces because it is not the same as technologies that focus on power used to cause suffering. Instead the cyborg represents what technology could be in a more equitable society.

The cyborg is a figure in feminist posthumanist though has to be differentiated from nefarious technology. Although in contemporary society there may be a lot of concerns for the risks associated with technology, the cyborg figure is a source of optimism for what technology could be. The cyborg as it stands may not be at its full potential but acts as a source of inspiration for a future of technology that liberates rather than oppresses. The cyborg serves as a reminder that, despite the potential for harm, technology’s true purpose is not to dominate, but to elevate and empower those it entangles with.

References

• ◆Åsberg, Cecilia, and Malin Radomska. “Why We Need Feminist Posthumanities for a More-than-Human-World.” Transformative Humanities, blog published by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, August 23, 2019.
• ◆Haraway, Donna J. “A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980s.” 1985. In The Gendered Cyborg: A Reader, edited by Gill Kirkup, Linda Janes, Kathryn Woodward, and Fiona Hovenden, 50-57. London: Routledge, 2000.
• ◆Hayles, N. Katherine. How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. University of Chicago Press, 1999. Chapter 1.
• ◆Lang, Fritz, director. Metropolis. 1927. Restored version, 2010. Berlin: UFA. Film.
• ◆Okorafor, Nnedi. "Mother of Invention." Slate, 2018. https://slate.com/technology/2018/05/nnedi-okorafor-mother-of-invention-a-short-story.html.
• ◆Paglen, Trevor. Invisible Images (Your Pictures Are Looking at You). The New Inquiry, December 8, 2016. https://thenewinquiry.com/invisible-images-your-pictures-are-looking-at-you/.
• ◆Perry, Sondra. Resident Evil. The Kitchen, New York, NY. November 2 - December 10, 2016.
• ◆Russell, Legacy. Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto. Verso Books, 2020.