Ghost in the Shell: Blurring Boundaries (Even more)

Okay, I haven't done this in a while, but I've still been reading, in particular I've been reading "How We Became Posthuman" by N. Katherine Hayles, and Mein Gott!  What a read that is.  I'm still not done because in every single paragraph is new scientific/psychological/anthropological/literary theory that is so deep and thick that it's like reading through molasses.  After I assimilate the knowledge she has to offer, I have a feeling a lot of stuff is going to start clicking into place, the most important of which is that the lines between metaphorical and literal cyborgs blur even more, and also the lines between robot/and cyborg blur even more, and we start understanding individuality and identity in this postmodern age as some murky grey soup

Oh, this is hard to articulate.  But I'm going to focus on one thing right now, which is the blurring between the robot and cyborg.  I think this is important because there are so many representations of robots: that is primarily mechanical and technological based "life", that it is just as important to consider the implications of the robot/cyborg blurring as the human/cyborg blurring.  Which brings us to "Ghost in the Shell".

In "Ghost in the Shell" the main character, the Major, is a primarily cyborg character, artificially constructed.  Throughout the movie, she is approached by the Puppet Master, a being constructed by information from networks.  Both these people are non-human; the Major is so ridden with technological enhancements and implants that she might as well be what the puppet master is, a creature constructed primarily of information.  At the end of the movie, these two being merge to create a new being, even more inhuman than their previous state... but at the same time closer to living.  As far as I can gather, their sentience increases with their merging.  Though I have to admit, I'm going to need to do some rewatching of that movie to fully understand the implications.

This got me to thinking about robots.  Now, I like robots anyway; some of my best (fictional) friends were once robots.  But it lead me to consider the opposing side of the cyborg... at what point does the cyborg stop being primarily human and start becoming primarily robotic?  Hayles discusses this a lot in her book, considering what makes up sentience and identity and discussing how a being that one may consider unalive can become sentient. 


This post has more questions then answers.  If a sentient robot has one organic element (such as, say, artificially grown flesh), does that make it a cyborg?  Can a person use enough technology that the technology begins to take over the thought processes and the person becomes more robot than human, even though he or she is a metaphorical cyborg?  Would robotic 'personalities' identity forming, or just a 'slip case' for a Data-like interior?

I've decided to read Asimov's robot series to gain some more insight on robot theory.  While the merging of flesh and technology is important, the beginning of these considerations, I think, lies in the imaginative ideas of science fiction writers who considered Robots.

Moment of insight:  Frankenstein is a cyborg.   I hadn't thought of it that way.  How cool is that??