Self, Society, and Technology

Self, Society, and Technology
Embodiment and Virtuality
IAH 206 – sections 17-22

Texts

Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus, translated by George Thomson

He, She and It, Marge Piercy

Infinite Reality: The Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives, Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson

Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Science, Technology, and Society, 10th ed., edited by Thomas A. Easton

** Other required readings are listed in the syllabus below, and are available through ANGEL (A).**

Course Description
This section of IAH 206 is divided into two sections, “Technology and Social Justice” and “Embodiment and Virtuality.” Course materials include videos, a documentary, fiction (short stories, a novel), social scientific and philosophical readings, and brief articles debating contemporary technological conflicts (alternative energies, biomedicine, bioagriculture, and so on). Some of your readings will be theoretical and challenging; others will be topical and more accessible. In general terms, the theme we will address – in both sections, although in different ways in each – concerns the persistent and often assumed gap (i.e., separation) between the realm of science and technology, on the one hand, and the world of bodily experience, on the other. When considering questions of social justice, the disparity becomes evident in the view that technology is merely an instrument, or a “value-free” means to an end. Intriguingly, however, the disparity surfaces in research in cognitive science and virtual reality technologies also. Here (to put it in a provocative way) we are asked to consider whether virtual reality – or experience in a simulated or virtual environment – is equally as real as (or even superior to) ordinary, everyday “objective” reality.
Writing assignments
1) Every student is required to complete three short papers, as well as a final essay. The short papers are weighted as follows: the first, worth 5% of your final grade; the second and third, worth 10% of your final grade. The final essay is worth 15% of your final grade. Printed out hard copies of your papers will be turned in to your TAs during recitation sections. (Papers that are emailed will not be accepted.) Due dates for each assignment are given below. Unless you have made previous arrangements with me, late papers will not be accepted.

2) Aim of writing assignments:

The aim of all of the writing assignments is two-fold. First, the writing prompts are designed to encourage you to read carefully and deeply, so that you better understand assigned readings and reflect on how those readings shed light on the themes of the course. Secondly, writing prompts are intended to bolster your writing skills. Good writing consists not only of expository and grammatical fundamentals (sentence structure, paragraph composition) but also of understanding the different things you (can) do with writing (interpretation, explanation, exposition, analysis, and so on). Short papers and the final essay require thought, as well as revision and editing. You should not take them lightly.

 

Grades will be determined by the following criteria as well.

Relevance: Do not go on tangents, and do not use assigned readings to talk about your opinion (unless I specifically ask that you do so). The goal of your writing is to demonstrate your understanding of the assigned texts, not first and foremost to state whether or not you agree with the author. Be sure that you understand precisely what it is you are being asked to do or write about.

Accuracy: You must show that you understand the assigned reading that you write about. To do this, you must be sure that you understand main claims, arguments and concepts, and that you follow the author’s line of reasoning. The following holds for any paper you write for this class: Be careful that you do not misrepresent what an author says.

Comprehension, interpretation and paraphrasing: Writing assignments are aimed at improving both your understanding of the readings and your ability to express yourself in writing. Written work should express your “voice.” That is, you should consciously avoid writing that merely reports what an author says, or that records a list of claims. Your goal should be to understand a text well enough that you develop an interpretation of the text. Given how short these assignments are, I do not want you to draw quotes from the text (i.e., do not insert block quotes in the body of your papers). It is more important to paraphrase the text so that your TAs and I can gauge your comprehension of the readings.
Below are the instructions for the three short papers, as well as instructions for the final essay.

? Final essay (1,250-1,750 words):

Final essays must be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, a title, and page numbers, and should have a works cited page. For the final essay you are required to pose a clearly articulated thesis, which, in the body of the paper, you support with cogent arguments. (A thesis statement is like an opinion; i.e., it is a claim the rightness of which you want to persuade your reader. An argument is the logical and systematic presentation of reasons to support your thesis. Your essay is to be an argumentative paper, not a research paper.) You may judiciously use block quotes in your final essay. The use of sources in the assignment is to be documented according to MLA, APA, or Chicago style.

You are encouraged to use any of the assigned readings that might help you make your case. Your grade will be based on your demonstrated understanding of all of the course readings, themes, and lectures, as well as on the relevance, accuracy, and quality of your writing. This is your opportunity to work with and develop your own ideas. But you should do so in a way that shows your grasp of the different texts we have examined throughout the semester.

Write an essay one of the following prompts.

Option 1. The authors of Infinite Reality make several strong claims about the potentials of virtual reality. One of the strongest claims is that virtual reality will allow an unprecedented degree of control over experience, especially identity formation. (Think of the last short paper you wrote.) And yet, Andy Clark asserts that the “I” (the soul, the mind) is wholly integrated with, is an inextricable part of its surroundings and setting (recall the image of a mangrove swamp), which means that the physical body is (and remains) integral to the formation of the “I.” What do you think? Whose account of subjective experience (or of identity formation, although identity formation and subjective experience are not synonyms) do you think is more persuasive and defensible?

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