Amanda Turnbull

The Salience of the "Cyborg Manifesto": A Reboot

Introduction

The salience of the "cyborg manifesto": a reboot. Investigate Donna Haraway's "Cyborg Manifesto" and cyberfeminism. Analyze its lasting salience for feminist theory in the digital age, merging online/offline realities.

Abstract

Donna Haraway undertakes the task of reappropriating the figure of the cyborg from patriarchal, capitalist power structures in her watershed publication, “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century” (1985). This process of deterritorialization forms part of the feminist tradition of taking control of the tools that previously hampered and fleeced women. Haraway’s mode of feminist theorizing has resonated across a variety of disciplines favourably, cautiously, and also contentiously. This paper investigates critically the blasphemous power of Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto,” specifically through the lens of cyberfeminism, a term coined by Sadie Plant in 1994 to describe the feminist approach that illuminates the relationship between cyberspace, the Internet, and technology. Additionally, this paper contemplates the salience and reliability of the cyborg as a mode of feminist theorizing as we grapple with challenge and change in the digital age, where the division between the online and offline is rapidly merging.

Review

This paper proposes a timely and critical re-engagement with Donna Haraway's seminal "A Cyborg Manifesto," aiming to underscore its continued relevance in the contemporary digital landscape. By framing this inquiry as a "reboot," the author signals an intention to not merely revisit but to critically evaluate the manifesto's enduring "blasphemous power." The abstract clearly outlines a focused approach, promising to investigate the text primarily through the lens of cyberfeminism, a framework established by Sadie Plant, to illuminate the complex interplay between technology, cyberspace, and feminist thought. A significant strength of this proposed study lies in its ambition to bridge historical feminist theory with current technological realities, particularly the rapidly merging online and offline spheres. Reconsidering the cyborg as a mode of feminist theorizing is highly pertinent given the accelerating digital transformation and the ongoing challenges to feminist praxis within these spaces. The paper's stated focus on the "salience and reliability" of the cyborg figure, alongside its critical examination of its "blasphemous power," suggests a robust analytical framework capable of yielding fresh insights into Haraway's enduring legacy and its applicability to 21st-century feminist discourse. This approach promises to contribute meaningfully to discussions on feminist reappropriation of technology. While the abstract provides a compelling outline, further clarity on the precise methodology for assessing the "reliability" of the cyborg as a theoretical tool would enhance its impact. For instance, the paper could benefit from detailing *how* it plans to test this reliability against contemporary technological advancements and social changes, perhaps by engaging with specific case studies or current manifestations of human-technology entanglement that were not imaginable in 1985. Additionally, a deeper exploration into what constitutes "blasphemous power" within this context, and how it is manifested in current cyberfeminist discourse, would strengthen the analytical core. Considering how the paper might engage with critiques or limitations of both Haraway's original work and subsequent cyberfeminist interpretations could also enrich the discussion.

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